Atlanta Police Officer Fatally Shoots Lyft Driver at Red Light: How Did One Thing Lead to Another?

An Atlanta police officer, entitled to serve and protect the community, took a fateful Lyft ride home that ended in tragedy. Officer Koby Minor, leaving a colleague’s house, ordered a Lyft driven by 35-year-old Reginald Folks. As they traveled down South Fulton Parkway, Minor became paranoid, believing he heard voices and asked Folks to stop the car.

When they reached a red light near Stonewall Tell Road in Union City, Minor tried to exit the vehicle, but was unable to open the door. Feeling threatened as Folks allegedly reached into the back seat, Minor fired his weapon multiple times, fatally shooting the driver. He then broke the car window and fled.

A witness in the area saw Minor signaling for help and stopped nearby. Minor claimed he believed Folks was trying to kidnap him into a “gay fraternity,” a claim refuted by Folks’ family who described him as a friendly and social individual.

Following the incident, Minor was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and murder. This was not his first brush with the law, as he was already on unpaid administrative leave for a previous drug-related arrest in December 2023. The Atlanta Police Department confirmed that Minor’s firearm was confiscated, and Lyft banned him from using their services.

The tragic events of that evening have left a community in shock and a family grieving the loss of a beloved son and brother. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting continues as authorities seek to understand how a routine ride home turned deadly.