17 Shots in the Back, When Will Justice Come?
Credit: Original reporting by Joe Walker (@joewalkr, The Independent) Atlanta rapper B Green, born Linton Blackwell, was shot and killed on October 11th outside Five Paces Inn in Buckhead. The autopsy revealed a chilling truth: he was shot 17 times in the back by off-duty police officer Gerald Walker, who was working security at the bar. Police claim Walker was responding to reports of a “disruptive person.” They allege that Green attempted to re-enter the bar through a rear entrance and later placed an item in the small of his back. Commands were issued “in reference to a gun,” and moments later, Green was gunned down. Investigators later found a firearm, but the autopsy makes clear: every single bullet entered his back. Green’s manager and friend, Timothy Coleman, expressed disbelief: “I just couldn’t believe it was 17 times in the back. There’s not one shot in the front. If he wasn’t pointing a gun at you or doing anything, what does that have to do with shooting him in the back 17 times? That means he wasn’t facing you. He wasn’t a threat.” Green was a father of twin girls, a family man, and an artist who left behind a legacy, including his final album PTSD: Vietnam Vet released in 2020. The Larger Issue This is not just about one man. This is about a system that continues to allow police officers, sworn to protect, to kill Black men with impunity. And what makes this even more painful is the reality that Black officers, too, have participated in this cycle of violence against their own communities. The badge, in too many cases, has become a shield for abuse rather than a symbol of protection. The Questions We Must Confront A Call for Accountability It is long past time to demand change. Calls to “defund” are not about chaos, they are about redirecting resources away from militarized policing and toward community safety, mental health, education, and opportunity. Every time another Black man is killed, we are reminded that reform alone is not enough. Accountability must be real. Justice must be enforced. And communities must be empowered to protect themselves from the very institutions that claim to serve them. Timeline of Police Killings of Black Men (2014–2025) 2014 – Michael Brown (Ferguson, Missouri) 2015 – Walter Scott (North Charleston, South Carolina) 2016 – Alton Sterling (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) 2016 – Philando Castile (Falcon Heights, Minnesota) 2016 – Terence Crutcher (Tulsa, Oklahoma) 2020 – George Floyd (Minneapolis, Minnesota) 2020 – Rayshard Brooks (Atlanta, Georgia) 2022 – Patrick Lyoya (Grand Rapids, Michigan) 2025 – Linton “B Green” Blackwell (Atlanta, Georgia) https://www.statista.com/statistics/585152/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-race https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/list-police-related-deaths-usa-1.4438618 https://mappingpoliceviolence.us What This Timeline Shows Closing Thought This timeline makes clear: B Green’s killing is not an isolated tragedy. It is part of a decades-long crisis of police violence against Black men. Until accountability is real and systemic change is enforced, these killings will continue. Sources: Wikipedia CBC Statista mappingpoliceviolence.us Closing Thought B Green’s death is not just a tragedy, it is a symptom of a system that continues to devalue Black lives. Seventeen shots in the back is not policing. It is murder. The question remains: When will justice finally come?
