Slain girl’s dad sues city over danger at Dogwood Terrace

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - An Augusta man has sued over the death of an 8-year-old girl in a drive-by shooting at an Augusta public housing complex, claiming officials failed to provide adequate security.

Arthur Anthony, filed the lawsuit May 5 in Richmond County Superior Court against the city and its housing authority over the shooting at Dogwood Terrace, 2000 Third Ave.

His lawyers believe the claim is in the $20 million range, they said in a legal notice to the city preceding the lawsuit.

The Jan. 8, 2022, shooting death of his daughter Arbrie Anthony was a wake-up call about the toll of violent crime on innocent victims. Arbrie was hit while petting a horse that had been brought to Dogwood Terrace, but deputies don’t believe she was the intended victim. She died at a local hospital soon after being shot.

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Among other claims, the lawsuit says the defendants “failed to provide controlled access, active security deterrents, adequate lighting and other measures to drastically reduce the threat of crime.”

Before the complex was built, representatives of the defendants had said it would include, a gate and fence for secure access and that Dogwood Terrace would be a gated community with security, the lawsuit states.

However, it had neither a gate nor security guards, the lawsuit states.

Anthony’s lawyers said in a letter to the city that Dogwood Terrace also failed to provide active security deterrents, video cameras, adequate lighting “or any other measures that would have drastically reduced crime.” Nor did the complex have signage warning criminals that the complex was under surveillance.

The complex “failed to have a consistent security presence that would have undoubtedly reduced the amount of violent crimes and even perhaps prevented the murder of Arbrie Anthony,” the lawyers said.

READ THE LAWSUIT:

The defendants, who had “exclusive control and management” of the complex, “had a legal duty to keep the subject apartment complex safe for residents/invitees, including Arbrie Anthony,” the lawsuit states.

The defendants knew of “the high rate of murder committed in and around the neighborhood where the subject apartment building is located,” yet failed to take reasonable precautions to protect people at the complex, the lawsuit states.

“Defendants’ failure to provide adequate security at the Dogwood Terrace Apartments despite actual and/or constructive knowledge of the high murder rate in the area, constitutes an entire want of care which raises the presumption of conscious indifference to the consequences of their action/inaction,” the lawsuit states.

For that reason, punitive damages are being sought in addition to compensatory damage for Arbrie’s loss of life, medical expenses, pain and suffering, funeral and burial costs.

Attorney fees are being sought, as well.

The Housing Authority of the City of Augusta is the main defendant, but the lawsuit also includes the city out of precaution because the authority claims sovereign immunity. The lawsuit notes that the authority has asserted that it is a public entity contrary to its own ission on its website that it is not d with the city and is operated by a private board separate and distinct from the city.

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