SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Two years ago, Saudi Lee was shot and killed by a former officer of the Savannah Police Department (SPD) in the Carver Village neighborhood.
Lee's family released the officer's body cam footage of the shooting on Wednesday. The footage shows Lee's interaction with Ernest Ferguson, the man who shot Lee, and Mackenzie Randle.
The Claiborne Firm said that they released the footage to "rebut the false narrative given by Former Savannah Police Officer Ernest Ferguson and his criminal defense attorneys."
"There is no other word for what happened to Saudi other than murder. Since that time, Officer Ferguson has done nothing but lie about why he shot Saudi," William R. Claiborne, Attorney for the Lee family, said.
The Chatham County District Attorney's Office has said throughout this case that the body cam footage is a critical piece of evidence in this case.
A key detail that prosecutors noted was that Lee is a legal gun owner and was running away when he fired the shot.
"Saudi told Officer Ferguson, I have a gun, and I have a permit for that gun," Claiborne said.
According to Ferguson, the footage tells a different story.
The release also included the full lawsuit against the city of Savannah and both officers, Ferguson and Randle. According to court documents from the civil case, the former officer said that Lee unholstered his pistol when he was approaching, holding it in a low ready position.
"Saudi Lee was doing nothing wrong, and despite that, the officers pointed tasers and guns at him," Claiborne said. "He turned and he ran, and he screamed out, you all are going to kill me. Sadly, he was right."
In the civil suit, the defense said that Lee said instead, "You're going to have to kill me."
"There was no reason for him to be shot, and now the whole world can see the truth," Dorothy Lee, Lee's sister, said.
Ferguson pleaded not guilty to felony murder and seven additional charges during his arraignment on Nov. 19.
You can read the lawsuit here: