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'It was unjustified': Mother asks why Houston County deputies shot, killed her son

The GBI said Houston County officers came to Christy Parks' home on July 3 after she called 911.

HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — A former Houston County woman wants more answers about why deputies shot and killed her son in July 2022.

The GBI says Houston County officers came to Christy Parks' home on July 3 after she called 911.

"I wasn't calling for protecting. I was calling for him, for someone to talk with him," Christy said.

The GBI says 44-year-old James Parks, who goes by Brian, barricaded himself inside the home and was suicidal.

Christy says that's not true.

She says her son was drinking, had mental health problems, and was disturbed by holiday fireworks.

"Excessive force was used. They escalated a situation that was a non-situation," Christy said.

She says when deputies arrived, they told her to wait in the yard.

"He was just blindsided. He didn't know," Christy said.

Christy says deputies surrounded her home and knocked on the front door.

After a while, she says, Brian answered the door with a gun in his hand.

Christy said Brian was holding her husband's gun.

Her husband unexpected passed away an aneurysm in April.

"It happened so quick. If they identified themselves, [I'm not sure], but somebody yelled, 'He's got a gun!' And then, within seconds, fire, shots started. I could see the fire muzzle coming from every direction. It was like a warzone. Then, I heard Brian hit the concrete," Christy said.

"My brother, I believe firmly he had undiagnosed mental health issues. We wanted him to get help and they did not send anyone out there to help with that," Brian's sister, Rhonda Armstrong said.

Armstrong says she flew in from Pennsylvania to help her mom the following morning.

"It was unjustified to me, and I want this to not have to happen to another person," Armstrong said.

"I don't want anybody to ever experience having to watch their son being gunned down when you were ensured he'd be protected," Christy said.

30-plus bullet holes later, a mother is left asking why deputies shot her son.

Christy says she left her home in Houston County after her son was killed and lives in Pennsylvania with her daughter and son-in-law.

She attends therapy sessions to help deal with what happened that night.

13WMAZ reached out to the Houston County Sheriff's Office, but they've not responded.

The GBI said they're still investigating and they'll turn the case over to the DA soon.

Brian was visiting Houston County from Maui to help his parents with home renovations.

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