Man Speaks after Officer Involved Shooting leaves him injured

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - “My car makes that popping noise, as I’m slowing down to even pulling over,” says Jermaine Hernandez. Hernandez is recalling the day he was pulled over by Columbus Police while traveling on Manchester Expressway near Miller Road exit at a high rate of speed in a construction zone. “It is a high rate of speed, but again we still don’t know if that’s true,” says Attorney Julius Collins.

The incident is now in the hands of the Georgia bureau of investigations and according to investigators, Hernandez was going 100 miles per hour. “Surely a speeding ticket, if he was speeding is not a death sentence,” says Collins. Take a listen to the sound Hernandez says his car makes once his engine revved and officers started shooting. According to his lawyers Julius Collins, Mike Barber, and Jay Ship, there were several shots fired at Hernandez while he was pulled over and had his hands up.

“You just went off the deep end and ultimately you attempted to kill Mr. Hernandez, but one thing they can’t justify is upward of 20 plus bullet holes in his vehicle,” says Collins. Although there isn’t a clear report of how many shots were fired, one bullet did hit Hernandez in his hand.

“As I just got my hand in the air, I see my fingers bent sideways, blood dripping down my wrist, and then I’m just yelling I’m unarmed, I have no weapon,” says Hernandez. Hernandez says now his life has changed forever as he can’t go to work until he regains strength in his hand. But lawyers are asking for more when it comes to responsibility from the police department.

“Who’s going to ride around in a car riddled with bullet holes? We definitely demand a policy change, and we are demanding that this officer be terminated immediately,” says Collins.

Lawyers also told us they are planning to file a lawsuit against the city as soon as procedure is complete when it comes to filing with the court system. We reached out to the police department for comment but have not heard back yet.