Killing of John Mays Jr. in Georgia in 1953

Incident

Case summary

John Mays, Jr. (1912-1953) was killed by police officer L.A. Hawkins in Americus, Sumpter County, Georgia. Hawkins was arresting Mays for “threatening a woman and resisting arrest” when he beat and shot him. Mays’s family hired Atlanta lawyer Lawrence Daniel Duke to represent them in a civil suit against Hawkins.

Victim(s):

John Mays Jr.


Alleged perpetrators/other named individuals:

L. A. Hawkins

Perpetrator group type: police

Date of incident: 1953-09-29
Location: Leslie, Sumter County, Georgia
Location type: carceral location
Allegation against victim: threatening a woman; resisting arrest

Coroner process
Coroner/inquest: [ ]
Finding of no legal responsibility: [ ]

Criminal process
Arrest: yes
Charge/indictment/information: [ ]
Grand jury: yes
Trial: [ ]
Conviction: [ ]
Sentence: [ ]

DOJ case ID:

144-19M-164


Document(s):
census records - closed
federal agency records
military documents - closed
news articles - closed
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