Cop kills Lyft driver because he thought he was part of a “gay fraternity”

An Atlanta police officer gunned down his Lyft driver yesterday, reportedly hearing “voices” that told him his driver was part of a “gay fraternity” that was going to kidnap him.

The murder has left the family of the victim, Reginald Folks, grieving.

Related: Police arrest teen suspected of killing 1 & injuring 6 in shooting at LGBTQ+ music venue

The suspect reportedly became angry after two lesbian women turned down his advances.

“[I’m] very proud of the man he became. Everywhere I went, people met him and enjoyed him. He always ran into people that he knew,” Marchelle Folks, mother of Reginald, said to 11 Alive News. “He was a friendly guy, very social. Reggie was pretty much the life of the party.”

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Folks had only just talked to his family on Mother’s Day, including his younger brother, who the murder has greatly impacted.

Folks had lived in Atlanta for 12 years, moving there after attending Clark State University and falling in love with the city. He did professional wrestling, traveling to other states to compete while doing Lyft for extra money.

On May 15, Folks picked up APD officer Koby Minor from another officer’s home. During the drive, Minor said he heard an “unknown voice” in his ear, leading him to prematurely try to get Folks to pull over and end the ride early. 

Minor claimed this “unknown voice” told him that Folks was part of a “gay fraternity” and was going to kidnap the APD officer to be a part of it. Minor then tried to get out of the car. He then claimed to see Folks reach into the backseat before firing three shots into Folks’s head, killing him.

When the Union City Police Department arrived, Minor was on the ground in a “surrendering” position. He resigned from the Atlanta Police Department on the same day.

Minor was reportedly already on administrative leave from the police department after drug charges in December of last year.

Marchelle Folks has been in the dark about the case.

“Had no idea it was a cop that killed him, not until someone sent us the article,” Folks told FOX 5. “It’s devastating and on top of it, a Black police officer is even worse to me.”

“It’s tragic that this is how it had to be for him, that he had to go out this way,” said Folks’s friend and fellow wrestler Jason Spector.

Lyft has given a statement on this murder, saying, “Our hearts are with Mr. Folks’ loved ones as they confront this unspeakable tragedy, and we have reached out to offer our support during this difficult time. We stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation and have permanently banned the rider’s account from the Lyft community.”

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