No charges will be filed in the shooting of Adam Griffin after Polk County Police officially closed the investigation Wednesday, releasing an account of the events that led to the father of two dying after a physical altercation on Esom Hill Road earlier this month.
Detectives concluded that Griffin, 42, was shot by Wesley Garmon in self defense on Dec. 4 after Griffin confronted him with a shotgun in response to Garmon allegedly pointing a gun at some of Griffin’s family members when they trespassed onto property behind his home earlier in the day.
According to the release, the shooting occurred in front of the home of Crick Fincher, Garmon’s neighbor, in the 2700 block of Esom Hill Road in western Polk County. Fincher had called Garmon asking him to come over and talk to him about the trespassing situation.
“When Wesley arrived, a male (identified as Griffin) came out of the front door of the residence pointing a shotgun at his head. Wesley ended up in a physical struggle with Adam Griffin on the ground. Wesley fired shots from a handgun to get away,” the release says.
Garmon returned to his home and called 911, telling the communications officer what had happened. Griffin, who was shot multiple times, was given aid by the first patrol officers to arrive and later turned over to the care of AdventHealth Redmond EMS. He then succumbed to his injuries.
Garmon meanwhile drove to the end of his driveway, secured the handgun that was used, and waited for police. The criminal investigations division processed the crime scene, gathering all of the evidence that was present such as shell casings, firearms, and clothing.
The release states Fincher and Garmon were interviewed multiple times during the investigation, and police have said Garmon was cooperative throughout.
Asking questions
The information released by Polk County Police comes after a surge of inquiries into the investigation following the department’s revelation that it was not seeking criminal charges in the days immediately after the shooting.
According to a comment by the department’s Facebook page, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation consulted on the investigation from the start, however they typically only take over a case if it is specifically requested by the original agency.
The release does not specifically state under what circumstances Garmon confronted Griffin’s relatives earlier in the day before the shooting. Fincher told investigators that his friend, Griffin, called him upset because a man pointed a gun at family members.
After Griffin identified the man as Garmon, Fincher said he arrived home to find Griffin standing in front of his house holding a shotgun in one hand and a beer can in the other. He heard Garmon cutting wood outside his house and told Fincher he was going to go confront him outside.
Fincher told investigators he had never seen Griffin that angry and convinced him to stay at Fincher’s house so he could call Garmon to ask him to come talk to him “on neutral ground.”
A photo taken by a camera on Garmon’s property at 3:58 p.m. shows Griffin and Fincher with Griffin leading the way holding a shotgun in his right hand and what appears to be a beer can in his left.
“Crick says that Adam promised to only speak with Wesley about the incident earlier in the day and that he would not involve the shotgun,” the release states.
Fincher called Garmon and he agreed to come over and talk.
Two minutes
At 4:05 p.m, the camera on Garmon’s property caught Garmon walking toward Fincher’s home.
According to the release, Fincher came out of his front door to greet him and the two shake hands as Griffin emerged from the home behind Fincher with the shotgun aimed at Garmon and screaming at him.
Garmon pulled out his handgun and the two ended up in a physical struggle on the ground, during which Griffin had Wesley in a chokehold from the rear. Garmon said he then fired multiple shots from his handgun until Griffin released him. He then got to his feet and ran toward his home.
At 4:07 p.m., the camera captured a photo of Gamron running back to his house with a cell phone in his left hand and blood on his right hand. The entire altercation lasted less than two minutes.
Griffin’s body was taken to the GBI crime lab for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and to provide information into the investigation. His family held a celebration of life for him at Smith & Miller Funeral Home in Cedartown on Sunday, Dec. 18, before he was laid to rest by his wife and two daughters.
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