Judge dismisses charges in Decatur library shooting ruling self-defense

A DeKalb County Superior Court judge has dismissed criminal charges against Medicus Brown, 44, ruling that he acted in self-defense during a shooting at the Decatur branch of the DeKalb County Public Library on February 2, 2026.

Chief Judge Shondeana C. Morris granted Brown immunity from prosecution following an immunity hearing on August 6. During the hearing, five witnesses—including a librarian, a security guard, a library patron, a Decatur police officer, and a bystander—testified that the victim had placed Brown in a chokehold immediately before the shooting occurred.

The witnesses also provided context regarding an ongoing dispute between the two men that began outside the library earlier that day, including an incident where the victim allegedly threw a cinder block at Brown. The court found the testimony credible, establishing that Brown's use of force was legally justified under Georgia law.