COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A beloved Cobb County attorney was shot and killed in front of Henry County home over the weekend.
Friends and former colleagues say Raj Mehta died a hero – likely saving a woman’s life just before an hours-long standoff.
On May 9, police say Mehta drove Terrance Scott to Locust Grove, where Scott shot and killed the 45-year-old attorney before breaking into a home on Hansen Drive and sexually assaulting a woman while holding her hostage for hours.
Family says Mehta was a volunteer driver delivering to vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic and worry he may have been kidnapped by Scott. Police say Mehta was an innocent victim.
“The young man ordered food, Raj delivered it and he kidnapped him,” attorney Terrance Bradley said,
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After he was shot, police say Mehta knocked the gun out of Scott’s hand, possibly saving the woman’s life.
“He definitely died a hero,” Bradley told Channel 2’s Dave Huddleston.
Bradley and Mehta met 20 years ago. They worked together at the Cobb County courthouse and became lifelong friends.
“Raj would literally give you the shirt of his back,” Bradley said. "One thing about Raj, you could count on him for whatever you needed, and at the drop of a dime, he would come to your aid.”
Mehta’s family said he was had signed up as a volunteer to help vulnerable people during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“He was an active volunteer driver with Open Hand Atlanta, via the UberEats platform. He received no fees for this work and did it out of the kindness of his heart, as was very much true to his character,” his family told Channel 2 Action News.
Scott is charged with murder, aggravated battery and several other charges. Police say more arrests are possible.
Bradley says he plans to create a scholarship in Mehta’s name.
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