Deravis "Caine" Rogers
Birth date:
October 2, 1993
Death date:
June 22, 2016
Age at Death:
22
About
Deravis "Caine" Rogers was a son, brother, and grandson. A lifelong resident of Atlanta, he grew up going to Six Flags with his brothers and watching the Atlanta Hawks as he split time between the houses of his mother, grandmother and father. His brothers Darius and Dequavious were his best friends. His family described him as intelligent, restlessly creative and kind-hearted, with an adept ability to follow fashion trends. One day, he hoped to launch his own clothing line with the help of his brothers. Besides his love of fashion, he was a member of the marching band in high school. Although he left high school during his junior year, he got his GED at 19. Before his death, he was planning to start a new job as a clerk at Proctor and Gamble, where he would work alongside his brothers.
On the night of June 22nd, an off-duty police officer was patrolling an Atlanta apartment complex. He suspected a car thief was in his vicinity, so he called for backup. The officer pursued the suspect on foot, but he lost him. When the second officer arrived, he encountered Rogers in a car, beginning to drive away. Dash-cam footage would later show that the officer arriving on the scene impeded the path of Rogers' car, causing Rogers to swerve around the officer's vehicle. The officer then exited his vehicle, yelling "stop" before firing his weapon once, striking Rogers in the head. He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. At the time, the APD officer claimed Rogers was "trying to run me over and kill me." Subsequent testimony and dash-cam footage would dispute this claim. The officer would later reveal that he didn't know whether he was the suspicious person wanted by the police. Rogers was unarmed.
Was justice served?
The officer was fired. On August 31st, 2016, the officer was indicted on charges of aggravated assault, felony murder, making false statements and violations of oath of office. In 2018, the Fulton County District Attorney pursued a new indictment. As of February 11th, 2020, the indictment has yet to advance to trial.