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Family of Georgia woman killed by deputies demands answers

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Posted at 3:43 PM, May 19, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-19 18:43:55-04

WOODBINE, Ga. (AP) — The family of a Georgia woman killed by gunfire as sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant is questioning the way officers carried out the operation.

Authorities say 37-year-old Latoya James was fatally shot May 4 after gunfire erupted soon after Camden County deputies forced entry into a home with a drug-related search warrant.

A man inside the home, Varshawn Lamont Brown, was also shot and hospitalized.

The Associated Press reported that Camden County Sheriff's Office released body cam video two days after the shooting, which showed deputies announcing themselves at the door, then immediately forcing their way into the home.

According to the AP, multiple gunshots rang out within seconds of law enforcement entering the home.

The body cam footage worn on the deputy was obstructed much of the video due to a shield. The footage did not show who fired the gun, nor did James or Brown appear on the footage, the AP reported.

An attorney for James' family, Reginald Greene, told a news conference Wednesday that body camera video shows deputies who breached the door of the home at 4:51 a.m. gave the occupants no time to respond after announcing themselves as law enforcement.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to investigate the shooting.