Former DeKalb Officer Enters Alford Plea in 2022 Fatal Shooting Inside Stone Mountain Home

DEKALB COUNTY, GA – A former DeKalb County police officer has entered a negotiated Alford plea in the 2022 shooting death of a man inside his Stone Mountain home, District Attorney Sherry Boston announced.

Russell Mathis, 32, of Tucker, pleaded to Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless Conduct during a hearing in DeKalb County Superior Court. The charges stem from the November 4, 2022, death of 37-year-old Marando Salmon. Under an Alford plea, a defendant maintains innocence but acknowledges the prosecution has sufficient evidence to likely secure a conviction.

Superior Court Judge Courtney L. Johnson accepted the plea and sentenced Mathis to 10 years, with two years to be served on house arrest and the remainder on probation. As part of the sentence, Mathis must complete 500 hours of community service, pay more than $4,700 in restitution to Salmon’s family for funeral and burial expenses, and permanently surrender his Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council certification.

Judge Johnson granted Mathis sentencing under the First Offender Act, meaning that if he successfully completes the terms of his sentence, the record of his conviction will be sealed.

According to the preliminary investigation, Mathis and another officer responded to a call about a stolen car parked in the driveway of a home on Autumn Crest Court. When officers knocked, the front door swung open and they entered the residence.

As officers cleared 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, killing Salmon. Investigators said Salmon had thrown a cell phone at Mathis, which the officer later stated he believed was a knife.

Authorities said Salmon was unarmed at the time of the shooting, though a holstered firearm was later recovered in the bedroom. He was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

District Attorney Boston said her office remained in close contact with Salmon’s family throughout the case and noted the difficulty of prosecuting a law enforcement officer. The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Buffy Thomas with assistance from multiple members of the district attorney’s office. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducted the preliminary investigation.