Fulton County

Ride-share driver’s murder charges downgraded to manslaughter, 2 passengers also charged

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The former ride-share driver police say shot and killed a passenger and wounded another is no longer facing murder charges. Two of the surviving passengers are charged in the deadly incident.

While 36-year-old Nigel Nembhard no longer faces a murder charge, he is now facing voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault charges.

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His mother tearfully told Channel 2′s Tom Jones that her son shouldn’t be charged at all.

“He doesn’t deserve it,” Christine Edwards explained, tears rolling down her face. She says her son is a shell of himself while being held without bond in the Fulton County Jail. “He keeps saying his name is all over the world, and everyone thinks he’s a bad guy and he’s not,” she said.

Nembhard was initially charged with murder after Atlanta police say he shot and killed passenger Kevin Fulton and wounded passenger Anthony Boyd in June on Monroe Drive.

“Mr. Nembhard at no time ever woke up that day with the intention of shooting anyone,” defense attorney Jackie Patterson said from his Buckhead office.

Patterson says his client defended himself after three unruly passengers threatened to harm him.

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A Fulton County grand jury indicted Nembhard on voluntary manslaughter, not murder, saying Nembhard was provoked. “The grand jury saw that this was not a case of murder,” Patterson said.

The grand jury also indicted Boyd on possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and simple battery for allegedly spitting on Nembhard and making physical contact with him.

The third passenger, Daeshaun Boyd, faces a charge of tampering with evidence for allegedly removing a handgun magazine from the scene.

Patterson says the charges against his client should be dropped outright.

Nembhard’s mother says her son loved his job and never wanted to hurt anyone. “Nigel wasn’t the one who started this thing, so it’s not fair for him to be in jail,” she said.

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Jones reached out to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for a comment about the case, but has not heard back.

Patterson has filed a motion to get his client a new bond hearing in light of these new developments. He said Nembhard shouldn’t be in jail for defending himself.

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