DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A former DeKalb County police officer has entered a negotiated plea in connection with the 2022 shooting death of a Stone Mountain man inside his home.
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The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office announced that Russell Mathis, 32, of Tucker, entered an Alford plea to charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct during a hearing on Wednesday in DeKalb County Superior Court.
An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors have enough evidence to likely secure a conviction at trial.
A judge accepted the plea and sentenced Mathis to 10 years, with two years to be served on house arrest and the remaining balance on probation.
As part of the sentence, Mathis must complete 500 hours of community service, pay more than $4,700 in restitution to the victim’s family for funeral and burial expenses, and permanently surrender his Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council certification.
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Mathis was also granted first offender status, meaning, if he completes the terms of his sentence, the conviction will be sealed from his record.
The charges stem from the November 4, 2022, shooting death of 37-year-old Marando Salmon.
According to investigators, Mathis and another officer responded to a report of a stolen vehicle parked in the driveway of a home on Autumn Crest Court in Stone Mountain. The officers knocked on the front door, which swung open, and then entered the home.
While clearing the home, Mathis opened the door to a second-floor bedroom and encountered Salmon sitting on his bed in a dark room. Within seconds, Mathis fired his weapon, fatally shooting Salmon.
Authorities say Salmon had thrown a cell phone at Mathis, which the officer later said he believed was a knife. Investigators determined Salmon was unarmed at the time of the shooting, though a holstered gun was later recovered inside the bedroom.
Salmon was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“My team and I have stayed in close contact with Mr. Salmon’s family since this case began,” District Attorney Sherry Boston said in a statement. “They shared with us how important it was to them that Defendant Mathis was held accountable on the highest charge, Involuntary Manslaughter. By entering a guilty plea, both the Salmon family and our office feel the former officer has taken some accountability for his actions.”
Boston added that prosecuting law enforcement officers can be especially challenging.
“Prosecuting a law enforcement officer for wrongdoing and securing a conviction is incredibly difficult and we hope this plea gives the Salmon family a measure of justice and peace,” she said.
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