This story has been updated with news of charges against former trooper Jacob Gordon Thompson in relation to the death of Julian Edward Roosevelt Lewis.

ATLANTA — Civil rights groups and lawyers are declaring their own state of emergency regarding police violence and calling for a federal investigation into officer-involved shootings across Georgia.

Last weekend, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced it is launching an investigation into the shooting death of Julian Edward Roosevelt Lewis in Screven County. On Aug. 7, investigators say, Lewis was shot by a state trooper after the trooper attempted to stop him for a traffic offense.

On Friday, GBI announced the arrest of former state trooper Jacob Gordon Thompson. Thompson has been charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in relation to Lewis’ death.

Civil rights groups and lawyers say Lewis’ death over what they believe was a minor traffic violation is another in a long string of Georgians who have died at the hands of police officers. The incident marks the 56th request for a GBI investigation into an officer-involved shooting this year.

Wednesday, Joseph Taylor, Lewis’ brother, offered a stark look into what it feels like for Black families living in the Peach State.

“Today, this tragedy struck our family and is very painful,” he said. “But tomorrow it could very well be your family.”

The Georgia NAACP, New Georgia Project and attorneys are demanding something be done in the wake of a national reckoning on police brutality that sparked mass protests across the country. During a press conference, lawyers, activists and family members of individuals killed during encounters with law enforcement said they are “raising the alarm.”

“What’s happening here in our state around these officer-involved shootings,” the Rev. Billy Honor with the New Georgia Project said, “this is not a normal situation. We should never normalize the death of our citizens, but certainly when it is that we see it happening in the manner that it is happening — with officer-involved shootings — we need to look into this.”

The Georgia NAACP is requesting “immediate action” from Georgia’s elected officials. The organization has called for the ousting of Brunswick District Attorney Jackie L. Johnson and Waycross District Attorney George E. Barnhill — two attorneys who did not pursue criminal charges after the death of Ahmaud Arbery.

“There are way too many people, too many citizens, too many residents, too many of our neighbors, our family or friends who are losing their lives every single day in the state of Georgia, due to racial terror, police brutality and violence,” the Rev. James Woodall, president of the Georgia NAACP, said. “… We have seen the level of violence of brutality escalate to a level that not only is uncalled for and unacceptable — quite frankly — it’s appalling.”

The deaths of Black men such as Arbery and Rayshard Brooks increased calls for state lawmakers to act. While the recent passage of hate crimes legislation was considered a step forward for racial justice, activists say there is still a long way to go.

Why does something as small as a traffic violation, jogging or falling asleep in your car often cost a life, they asked.

Betty Lewis, Lewis’ wife, described her husband as a “very good man.”

“Our family is absolutely devastated by the taking of an innocent man who was well-deserved to be amongst society,” Betty Lewis said. “It just doesn’t make sense anymore. Why all these killings have to go on and Black men lives have to be taken for something so simple?”

Francys Johnson, a Statesboro attorney representing Lewis’ family, said while Georgia is seeing high rates of officer-involved deaths, the issue is playing out across the United States. The debate has spiraled into a partisan dispute over defunding the police but the consequences for families are real.

“For some folks it’s a debate, to be held on social media about ‘Backing the Blue’ or Black Lives Matter,’” he said. “But this is how it really impacts people and carries through communities.”

The group of organizations also demands oversight and accountability of district attorneys appointed following the resignations of Johnson and Barnhill and continue to call for the repeal of Georgia’s antiquated citizen’s arrest statute.

Lawyers said Wednesday there needs to be increased accountability across the entire criminal justice system and pledged to fight for the families who have lost loved ones.

“I miss my husband,” Lewis said. “The crying won’t stop. The loneliness won’t stop. It just won’t stop.”