Killing of M. C. Pitts in Georgia in 1931

Incident

Case summary

M.C. Pitts (1898-1931), a porter, was killed by police officer J.H. Waters in Atlanta, Georgia. Waters had been called to a scene of several men sitting on a wall bothering passersby. Waters ordered the men to disperse. When M.C. Pitts, who suffered from mental illness, did not comply, Waters beat and, allegedly during a scuffle, shot him. Months later, Pitts’s brothers Buster and Columbus tried to shoot Waters but killed Ralph Harwell instead. They were sentenced to life imprisonment. Legal status of the Pitts killing is unknown.

Victim(s):

M. C. Pitts


Alleged perpetrators/other named individuals:

J. H. Waters

Perpetrator group type: police

Date of incident: 1931-06-24
Location: Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia
Location type: public space - urban
Allegation against victim: refusing to disperse when ordered; grabbing a police officer's baton

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

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


Document(s):
advocacy group resources
death certificates - closed
news articles - closed
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