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Hundreds gather at NAACP meeting to discuss Washington Co. man's Tasing death

Hundreds of people gathered Sunday in Sandersville to discuss the death of Eurie Martin. The man who died after being tased twice by deputies last week.

Hundreds of people gathered Sunday in Sandersville to discuss the death of Eurie Martin.

He's the man who died after being tased twice by deputies last week.

Sunday's Washington County NAACP meeting had only one topic on its agenda.

“Electrocuting a man whose crime was walking while black,” says Francys Johnson.

Johnson is the president of Georgia’s NAACP. He attended the meeting to speak out about the three deputies accused of Tasing Eurie Martin moments before he died.

“We support law enforcement, accountable law enforcement,” says Johnson.

Several community members voiced concerns about when law enforcement can use Tasers.

“If there's three or more policemen, and he’s already on the ground why is it necessary for the victim to be Tased?” said one woman in the crowd.

No one from the Washington County's Sheriff's Office was there to answer those questions, but Capt. Ken Parker with the Sandersville Police Department says he came to help represent law enforcement from the area.

RELATED: Three Washington Co. officers placed on leave after fatal Tasing

“Working together as a community to be an example to show the rest of the nation how we can come together and fix these issues we have,” says Parker.

Parker says he trusts the process the Washington County Sheriff's Office is going through, but Johnson says Sheriff Thomas Smith should have been there even if he was advised to not speak.

“We understand that he may not have been able to answer questions about an investigation that he is not conducting. Now remember, the GBI is conducting this investigation, but he should’ve been here to hear the concerns of the citizens,” Johnson said.

The Martin family attended the meeting, but declined to comment.

Calls to the Washington County sheriff were not returned.

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