Former DeKalb County officer sentenced to house arrest, probation for killing Stone Mountain man

A former DeKalb County police officer will spend years on house arrest for the deadly shooting of a man inside a Stone Mountain home.

On Wednesday, 32-year-old Russell Mathis entered a negotiated Alford plea to the charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct. An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain his or her innocence while acknowledging that the evidence the prosecution had would likely end with a conviction.

According to prosecutors, Mathis and another officer responded to a call about a stolen car that was found parked in the driveway of a home on Autumn Crest Court on Nov. 4, 2022.

The officers reportedly knocked on the door to the house, which swung open, allowing them to enter.

Officials say Mathis found 37-year-old Marando Salmon sitting on his bed on the second floor of the home and opened fire, hitting the man. The officer told investigators that he believed Salmon had thrown a knife at him. It turned out to be a cell phone.

Paramedics rushed Salmon to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Following his plea, a superior court judge sentenced Mathis to 10 years to serve, with two years on house arrest and the remaining on probation. He will also have to serve 500 hours of community service and pay more than $4,700 in restitution to Salmon's family to cover his funeral and burial expenses.

Mathis has also agreed to give up his Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training (POST) Council certification.

"My team and I have stayed in close contact with Mr. Salmon's family since this case began.  They shared with us how important it was to them that Defendant Mathis was held accountable on the highest charge, Involuntary Manslaughter.  By entering a guilty plea, both the Salmon family and our office feel the former officer has taken some accountability for his actions," DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said in a statement. "Prosecuting a law enforcement officer for wrongdoing and securing a conviction is incredibly difficult and we hope this plea gives the Salmon family a measure of justice and peace." 

The judge allowed Mathis to be sentenced under the First Offender Act, meaning that his conviction will be sealed if he completes his sentence.