STATEMENT FROM RICHARD C. HAGLER, ATTORNEY FOR DAVID GLISSON

In a press conference Friday, attorney Richard C. Hagler, who represents
former Muscogee County Sheriff's Deputy David Glisson, made his first
public statements in the shooting death of Kenneth Walker:

I am here today to speak to you on behalf of David Glisson and his family.
David, his wife, his four children, his parents and his in-laws have
suffered in silence as the investigation of this incident has progressed.
David has given over 20 years of his life to the service of the people of
Muscogee County and it is now time for the people of Muscogee County to
hear the truth.

We have been reluctant to publicly address the issues surrounding the death
of Kenneth Walker while the investigations are still ongoing.

You are aware of an ongoing independent GBI investigation as well as an
independent investigation by the Civil Rights Division of the United States
Justice Department. However, because of the many lies upon which this
entire incident has been based, we feel it is necessary that we now address
some issues with the public.

The entire incident has been portrayed to the public as an incident which
arose out of racial profiling.

This portrayal is a fundamental lie, which has resulted in great prejudice
and political pressure against my client.

The facts of this case have been ignored and manipulated by those that seek
to use them for personal gain, financial gain and to split the community apart.

Without any evidence to support their allegations, the family of Kenneth
Walker now seeks to perpetrate another lie by alleging the autopsy report
and toxicology reports have been mysteriously altered.

This assertion is absolutely ludicrous.

While we are sympathetic towards Mrs. Walker, we are convinced that she is
unable to see the truth.

This act of denial is a problem I see so frequently with families of those
whose loved ones have become involved in the drug culture.

However, the undeniable fact is that Mr. Walker placed himself in a
situation that night through his own illegal conduct which ultimately
resulted in his death.

Like so many people who become involved in the world of drugs, he lived a
lie. He did not wish for his family and friends to know that he had become
a victim of the demon called cocaine.

The facts of this case began with an undercover investigation by the Metro
Narcotics Unit. The Metro Narcotics Unit was conducting surveillance on the
apartment visited by Mr. Walker and his friends that night. Surveillance
was established on this particular location because of an informant's
reliable information which revealed cocaine sales were being made out of
the apartment.

Shortly before the arrival of Mr. Walker and his compatriots to the
apartment, another vehicle visited the apartment to make a purchase of cocaine.

That vehicle was later stopped on that same evening.

During the arrest and search both money and a large amount of cocaine were
found.

After this vehicle left the apartment, the confidential informant contacted
the occupants of the apartment in an attempt to arrange a purchase of cocaine.

The informant was told by the occupants of the apartment that they were out
of cocaine but soon expected another delivery.

The SUV occupied by Mr. Walker and his friends then arrived at the cocaine
dealer's apartment.

At some point all of the occupants of the SUV apparently entered the
apartment. One of the occupants of the SUV carried a package into the
apartment.

We believe the evidence will ultimately reveal the package was a delivery
of cocaine.

We also believe the evidence will show that at least one or more of the
four occupants of the SUV used cocaine while in the apartment. While these
events were occurring the Metro Narcotics agents requested backup
assistance. The SRT unit was dispatched to assist in the arrests at the
apartment.

Metro reported "there was a delivery being made" and there were "armed drug
suspects." Later that evening Metro Narcotics agents watching the apartment
executed a search of the apartment. Arrests were made at the apartment that
evening.

Cocaine, money and a firearm were found in the apartment.

The SRT unit was diverted as they were staging to approach the apartment
complex by the Metro Narcotics agents.

The Metro Narcotics agents were following the SUV occupied by Mr. Walker
and his friends as it left the apartment.

The SUV departed from the apartment complex just prior to the arrival of
the SRT unit.

The SUV, occupied by Mr. Walker and his friends, was pulled over by
investigators after it left the cocaine dealer's apartment.

All occupants of the vehicle were ordered to exit the SUV. Mr. Walker had
to be removed from the vehicle.

During the course of the removal and attempt to subdue Mr. Walker, he was
shot and killed.

We believe the evidence will clearly show that there was never any
intention to take the life of Mr. Walker. Mr. Walker's decisions on that
fatal night were responsible for creating the circumstances surrounding
this tragedy.

The autopsy and toxicology reports confirm that at the time of his death
Mr. Walker's system contained alcohol and cocaine.

The family of Mr. Walker and their counsel now seek to deny these
scientific findings in an effort to boost the value of their lawsuit.

There is no corroboration for their claims like so many other claims made
during the course of this event.

Perhaps Mrs. Walker has convinced herself that her husband was not a drug
user. However, the facts are undeniable and indisputable. Mr. Walker's
family and their attorney have made the ludicrous claim that the coroner
was prohibited from immediate access to the body of Mr. Walker. Coroner
James Dunnavant has absolutely disputed this allegation. The coroner denies
the allegations that the toxicology reports could have been altered.

The coroner opined that the alcohol and cocaine found in Mr. Walker's
system could not have been introduced into his body after death.

The coroner has rendered an opinion that Mr. Walker ingested cocaine and
alcohol before his death.

David Glisson is innocent of any wrongdoing. We believe that the ultimate
outcome of all investigations and of the lawsuit will be the exoneration of
David Glisson. We believe that his conduct did not violate any criminal
laws. Furthermore, we believe that while Mr. Walker's death was tragic, the
injustice to David Glisson and his family is equally tragic.

Mr. Walker died as a result of an unfortunate incident after he placed
himself within the drug culture.

He chose to be a participant. He is a tragic victim of our society's war on
drugs.

In closing I wish to reiterate that this is not, and never has been, a
racial incident.

Illegal drug use transcends all racial lines.

There is a small segment of this community which has sought to manipulate
the facts to make this incident appear racially motivated.

This is a false and inflammatory claim.

We are confident that the ultimate outcome of this investigation will find
that David Glisson committed no criminal acts, and there was no racial
motivation behind this tragedy whatsoever. We are also confident that we
will be successful in the issues arising out of the lawsuit filed by the
family of Mr. Walker. We believe the outcome will show that David was
wrongfully terminated from his employment with the City because of intense
political pressure.

This pressure has existed throughout this incident because of misstatements
of fact and efforts to incite a racial divide within this city. We believe
the truth, and nothing but the truth, will truly set this city free from
the cloud of suspicion and racism that has prevailed in the past few months.

Thank you for your willingness to listen to the truth.

We hope the media will be as comprehensive in disseminating the truth as it
has been in covering the story thus far.