ATLANTA — The fight for Nygil Cullins' family continues two years after his death. Their message is still clear: All they ask for is transparency.
In a new federal lawsuit filed by his parents, they blame the city of Atlanta, Fogo de Chao, the security team at the restaurant, their security guard and the two Atlanta Police officers who responded to Nygil’s wrongful death.
"I’m sorry that I couldn’t save you," Nygil's mom, Mya, said in tears Thursday evening. "That is one of my biggest regrets every day of my life."
His mother’s pain and father’s regret still haven't gone away, no matter how much time has passed.
"I just believe if I was there, I would’ve been able to save him, man," Quentin Cullins, Nygil's dad, said.
Both parents are still steadfast in the fight for their son Nygil. The 22-year-old was shot and killed in Buckhead at a Fogo de Chao he was eating at on May 18, 2022. Since that day, the family and their attorneys have kept pushing for the release of the full, unedited video of what happened that night.
"It’s not enough for the NAACP and his attorneys to see the video. It’s not enough for members of his family to see the video. The community needs to see the video. They need to see 10 shots fired into Nygil Cullins. 5 shots a pause standing over him and walking around and then 5 more shots," the family's attorney and GA NAACP President Gerald Griggs said.
The federal lawsuit claims negligence, inadequate training, and excessive and deadly force all contributed to the shooting. The family says Nygil was carrying a legally concealed gun at the time. He left home after a mental health episode, and several calls were made to get him help.
"The gun is not visible, you can’t see the gun. He’s putting his hands up, he’s going to the ground and then he’s tased. Our question through the lawsuit and the family is why was he encountered in such a way that resulted in him being shot 10 times," Griggs said.
A release of the video won’t bring their son back, but their hope is it will spur change.
"It won’t be no closure until we get justice until we see transparency. Until policies get changed," Quentin said.
The family wants to see a change in the training for officers in the Atlanta Police Department and more resources for mental health, whether that be mental health professionals who work with the officers to respond to calls or are the first responding officers to approach cases like this differently.
11Alive reached out to the department and Fogo de Chao after the suit was filed. Both say they don’t comment on pending litigation. The two officers mentioned in the lawsuit are currently active employees.