EXCLUSIVE: Officer sentenced in Taser death apologizes to victim's family

EAST POINT, Ga. — Former East Point officer Howard Weems was sentenced to five years in prison with 18 months to serve in the Taser death of Gregory Towns in 2014.

Just hours later, he sat down with Channel 2’s Mark Winne to talk about his sentence and apologize to Towns’ family.

Weems said he wants the Towns family to know he's deeply remorseful the towns' death, but maintained he did nothing to cause it. He acknowledged it, but the jury disagreed.

Bill McKenney, who represented Weems with attorney Don English, said his sentence under the First Offender Act means Weems will have no conviction if he successfully completes his probation.

Weems said he was devastated at the sentence because he put people in jail and now faces the prospect of stepping into jail himself, and he believes he did nothing wrong that day.

He broke down in tears before the interview with Winne.

“So just before this interview, you put your hands to your eyes and you became very emotional?” Winne asked. “What was going on inside you at that moment?”

TRENDING STORIES:

• Warrants issued for prominent Atlanta attorney who shot wife
• Former East Point officer sentenced to life in prison for man's Taser murder
• Gwinnett County mother hit, killed by garbage truck

“I’m sorry for everything that has occurred,” Weems said. “No one wakes up to go to work and say they’re going to end someone’s life in law enforcement. Regardless of whether the officer, black, white or even a suspect, and I have been extremely emotional about this from day one. Because it’s hard for me to mentally understand that a grown person can be experienced medical issues and do not ask for any medical assistance. You know if he had been bleeding, if he had been breathing.”

“The instant you learn Gregory Towns had died, what happened inside you?” Winne asked.

“My heart stopped beating,” Weems said. “I could’ve retired from East Point at age 50. I successfully had made it 18 years and two months. I purposely made sure that I did not get involved in anything that would result in serious bodily injury or death.”

Weems said he was thankful when the jury found him not guilty of murder.

“There was no malice intent,” Weems said.

McKenney said he will appeal the three counts of which the jury found Weems guilty: involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct and violation of oath.

“It has to be appealed,” McKenny said. “We can’t allow a non-lethal weapon to be prohibited.”

“If people are watching this and saying, ‘Is he sorry for himself or is he sorry for Greg Towns?’” Winne asked.

“I’m sorry for the both of us,” Weems responded.

Cox Media Group