3 charged with inciting riot in violent protests over Ga. Tech student's shooting
ATLANTA -- Three people face charges after violent clashes with campus police at Georgia Tech following a vigil for a student fatally shot by officers, a university spokesman said Tuesday.
Police shot and killed Scout Schultz, 21, Saturday night after the fourth-year student called 911 to report an armed and possibly intoxicated suspicious person, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
The GBI on Tuesday identified the officer who fired the fatal shot as officer Tyler Beck, reports CBS affiliate WGCL-TV. Police say Schultz was shot after the student refused to comply with police commands to drop a weapon.
On Monday night, Georgia Tech issued alerts urging students to shelter indoors because of violent protests. Video posted on social media showed a campus police vehicle burning in the street and officers pinning people to the ground as onlookers shouted at them.
After Monday's peaceful vigil, about 50 protesters marched to the campus police department, university spokesman Lance Wallace said. A police vehicle was burned and two officers suffered minor injuries, with one taken to a hospital for treatment and later released.
Georgia Tech president G.P. "Bud" Peterson in a letter to the university community Tuesday said he believes the problems were caused by people "intent on creating a disturbance and inciting violence."
"We believe many of them were not part of our Georgia Tech community, but rather outside agitators intent on disrupting the event," he added. "They certainly did not honor Scout's memory nor represent our values by doing so."
The university said three people were arrested during the protest but hasn't said whether they were students.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Tracy Flanagan said Vincent Castillenti, of Decatur, faces two counts of aggravated assault on an officer and two counts of willful obstruction of law enforcement officers.
Jacob David Wilson, of Atlanta, faces two counts of aggravated assault against a peace officer and three counts of criminal trespass, Flanagan said.
Andrew Xavier Monden, of Atlanta, faces charges of interference with government property and inciting rioting, Flanagan said. Georgia Tech had identified the third person arrested as Cassandra Monden.
In a statement released through attorney Chris Stewart, Schultz's family urged protesters to remain peaceful.
"Answering violence with violence is not the answer. Our goal is to work diligently to make positive change at Georgia Tech in an effort to ensure a safer campus for all students," the statement said. This is how we will truly honor Scout's life and legacy. Scout's family respects the rights of those who wish to voice opposition to what they feel was an unnecessary use of force, but they ask that it be done respectfully and safely."
The GBI has said an officer responding to a 911 call about 11:17 p.m. Saturday shot Schultz as the student advanced on officers with a knife and refused commands to put down the knife. Stewart said Monday that the GBI confirmed to him that Schultz was holding a multipurpose tool and that the knife blade was not out.
Stewart says he plans to sue over the shooting.
Schultz was the one who called 911, GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said in an emailed statement Monday.
"In the call, Shultz describes the person as a white male, with long blonde hair, white T-shirt and blue jeans who is possibly intoxicated, holding a knife and possibly armed with a gun on his hip," Miles said, adding that three suicide notes were found in Schultz's dorm room.
Georgia Tech has refused to release the 911 audio.
Investigators recovered a multi-purpose tool at the scene but didn't find any guns, Miles said.
Peterson, in his letter Tuesday, called Schultz's death a tragic loss but urged people to await the results of the investigation and "not draw conclusions too quickly."
Schultz was president of Pride Alliance at Georgia Tech. The fourth-year computer engineering student used the name Scout, rather than the given name Scott, and preferred the pronouns "they" and "them" rather than "he" or "him."
"I'm bisexual, nonbinary and intersex," Schultz wrote in a Pride Alliance profile.
William Schultz told reporters Monday that his child had a 3.9 GPA and was on track to graduate early in December.
Lynne Schultz told the Journal-Constitution over the weekend that her oldest child had struggled with depression and attempted suicide two years ago.
After that, Scout Schultz went through counseling, William Schultz said. Scout Schultz spent this past summer at home and there were no obvious problems when school resumed last month, the elder Schultz said.
Schultz's parents spoke out at a press conference Monday, demanding answers. Schultz's mother has questioned why police didn't use pepper spray or Tasers.
Stewart told reporters that Georgia Tech had confirmed to him that their officers do not carry these less-lethal alternatives to firearms, which Stewart called "insane."
Schultz's father said he knew police officers rarely get indicted or convicted for killing civilians, but said he wanted to know, "Why did you have to shoot? That's the only question that matters right now. Why did you kill my son?"