The man accused of killing a Gwinnett County sheriff’s deputy last fall now wants the case thrown out before it ever reaches a jury, telling a judge he pulled the trigger in self-defense. His request marks the most significant legal turn yet in a killing that rattled metro Atlanta law enforcement and neighbors alike.
Eric Sumner has filed a motion asking to be declared immune from prosecution in the September shooting that left Master Deputy Tamara Tuitt‑Bartlett dead, arguing he acted in lawful self‑defense during a domestic dispute. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, the motion urges the court to block criminal charges on self‑defense grounds.
Tuitt‑Bartlett was found dead inside her Forsyth County townhouse in late September 2025, and investigators say her teenage son was also shot and survived. Earlier that year, she had filed for, then later dropped, a temporary protective order against Sumner, court records show, according to The Atlanta Journal‑Constitution…