Family speaks out on shooting sentence - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Family speaks out on shooting sentence

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VALDOSTA, GA (WALB) -

A Valdosta mother is outraged Friday over the sentence handed down to her son's killer.

A teenager, who was originally charged with murder, struck a deal with prosecutors.

He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 17 years in prison, but the victim's family says that's not enough.

A memorial for Xayviah Calloway sits close to where he was gunned down in July 2010. Cleveland Fulton Jr. was 17 at the time and was initially charged with murder but August 16 he pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and firearm charges. The family says his 17 year prison sentence isn't enough.

"We still got to accept that and trust God to do the rest," said Pam Calloway, the victim's mother. "It's got to be in Gods' hand because God says you don't put no faith in man because man will fail you and man has failed me."

Prosecutors say Cleveland Fulton, Jr. and his father argued with Calloway inside a bar on South Patterson Street. It escalated outside where Calloway hit Fulton who then fired shots. Based on that evidence, prosecutors accepted a guilty plea for manslaughter.

"Anytime someone can chase you down like a dog and shoot you from the back and then flip you over and shot you a couple more times that's not manslaughter," said Angela Davis, the victim's sister.

"I'm a cop myself," said Valdosta Police Cmdr. Brian Childress. "We want them to get the maximum and so does our prosecutors but also understand as part of our legal system that sometimes you offer pleas."

"We always think we going to go first and that our children are going to bury us but it's hard when you have to bury your child in a tragedy way," said Calloway.

Xayviah's mother says he was her baby boy and part of her life is forever gone. She and the family call it a cold blooded murder.

Cleveland Fulton Sr. awaits trial for aggravated assault and tampering with evidence charges. Prosecutors say he threw gun out of a car window when he and son left the scene of the crime.

 
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