Banker killed in N.J. police shooting to be buried in S.C.

The CEO of an Atlanta credit union who was shot and killed by a police detective in Newark, N.J., last week will be buried in Columbia on Saturday.

DeFarra "Dean" Gaymon, 48, a Benedict College alumnus and former credit union vice president in Columbia, was killed in a park in New Jersey during a confrontation with an undercover police officer, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office in Newark.

His death has left his parents, who live in Columbia, and the rest of his family stunned and grappling with unanswered questions. "This is Dean, a man that was always reaching out to help, never of violence, never engaging in anything to downgrade the community, always to uplift it," said his father, the Rev. George Gaymon, pastor of New Revelations Baptist Church in Blythewood.

"Here, my son's dead body is in somebody's funeral home. I will live the rest of my life to try to find out what happened. I will not find peace until I find out the truth."

Gaymon, chief executive of the Atlanta Employees Credit Union and a married father of four, flew to his hometown of Newark last week to attend his 30th high school reunion.

He was shot Friday night while in a public park, unarmed, reports said.

The undercover police officer was in the park investigating reports of illicit activity, according to the prosecutor's office, which also said Tuesday that Gaymon reached into his pocket and lunged at the undercover officer during a struggle before he was shot.

Kelly Gaymon-Armstrong, Gaymon's sister, said his family will lay her brother to rest Saturday before seeking answers in New Jersey, a state they called home for 20 years before the family moved to South Carolina.

"Everybody's just devastated. It's hard to sleep at night," she said. "He was just such a loving person, a big-hearted person."

She said she and her brother often got together by themselves just to talk about life, help each other through struggles, and celebrate successes.

"I'm gonna miss those nights," she said.

Rick Hammond, CEO of S.C. State Credit Union, where Gaymon worked for several years as vice president of branch operations in the early part of this decade, called Gaymon bright, intuitive and a great team player.

"I had actually hoped at some point that he would be moving back this way and could come back to work for us again," Hammond said. "He was that kind of employee."

Gaymon was in Columbia in April to speak at Benedict's 20th annual Charter Day celebration, college spokeswoman Kymm Hunter said, adding it was the first time an alumnus had spoken at the event.

Gaymon typified the type of student Benedict hopes to produce, Hunter said. He worked with a number of organizations to help low-income families understand financial literacy, she said.

"We're so proud of him," she said.

Gaymon's funeral is at noon Saturday at Benedict College's Anstidel Chapel, with burial in Fairlawn Cemetery along Garners Ferry Road.

In addition to his father and mother, Mattie, he leaves behind his wife, Mellanie, and children, Devin, 15, Jade, 12, Jillian, 10, and Dale, 8.