John Curtis Coates

How they died

Deadly force

Deputy Terry Miller tried to serve a warrant on Mr. Coates in the parking lot of a Chick-fil-A. Mr. Coates told the deputy he would not go with him or to jail. Deputy Miller called for back-up, and Fort Oglethorpe Officer Mitchell Moore responded. Both men encountered resistance from Mr. Coates. During a struggle with officers, Mr. Coates retrieved a handgun from his other's glove box and fired, striking Officer Moore in the back. Deputy Miller returned fire, fatally wounding Mr. Coates.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that John Curtis Coates, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources