An ex-Atlanta cop has been slapped with murder and aggravated assault charges after allegedly shooting a Lyft driver, whom he bizarrely claimed was trying to recruit him into a "gay fraternity" and kidnap him. Koby Minor, who was on unpaid leave from the Atlanta Police Department due to prior drug-related charges, waived his first court appearance on Thursday, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
According to the Union City Police Department, they responded to a distress call on May 15, where they found the driver, Reginald Folks, dead from gunshot wounds. As reported by WSB-TV, Minor, hired by the APD in July 2018, told the victim to stop the car but claimed that the door wouldn't open when Folks reached into the back seat, at which point he fired his weapon.
After fleeing the scene and breaking the vehicle's window, Minor apparently flagged down another car, telling the driver that Folks belonged to a gay fraternity and had been attempting to recruit him. The statement further relayed by Minor alleged Folks was kidnapping him, a bizarre twist adding fuel to an already tragic incident. Minor is currently being held at Fulton County Jail.
The senseless killing left those close to Folks reeling. Marchelle Folks, Reginald's mother, expressed her devastation and confusion. "Had no idea it was a cop that killed him, not until someone sent us the article," Folks told FOX 5's Deidra Dukes. "It's devastating and on top of it, a black police officer is even worse to me." Folks had moved to Atlanta to attend Clark Atlanta University and later followed his passion on the pro-wrestling circuit.
In their statement obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, Lyft condemned the violence, offered condolences to Folks' family, and assured their cooperation with law enforcement. Minor, who had been with the APD since 2018, resigned in the wake of the shooting.
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