ATLANTA, GA – There’s been more developments revolving around what has been dubbed as the “Atlanta 6,” and in this instance, it is not a benefit to the officers involved.
While six police officers are facing charges related to an incident that played out on May 30th, only two were initially terminated from the stemming incident.
Now, an additional two officers were terminated from the Atlanta Police Department.
Two more Atlanta Police Officers are fired in connection with tasing incident. https://t.co/MWfr5hLLEv
— The Tornado News (@TheTornadoNews) June 10, 2020
Since the death of George Floyd in police custody in late-May, policing has not only become more difficult, but every element related to use-of-force is being intensely scrutinized across the country.
The latest terminated officers from the APD are Sgt. Lonnie Hood and Officer Armon Jones, according to Atlanta police spokesman Sgt. John Chafee on June 10th.
The first officers who were fired on May 31st, a day after the incident, were Ivory Streeter and Mark Gardner. Streeter’s and Gardner’s firings were initially announced by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
As it stands, officers Roland Claud and Willie Sauls are still employed with the police department, but still have criminal charges levied against them.
The entire debacle in Atlanta involves college students Messiah Young and Taniyah Pilgrim during a police interaction on the evening of May 30th.
BREAKING: Six Atlanta police officers charged after allegedly pulling two college students out of a car, smashing its windows and using a stun gun in the course of an arrest as protests continued nearby, prosecutor says. https://t.co/XB062YuhwM
— ABC News (@ABC) June 2, 2020
The six APD officers facing charges had encountered the two individuals while Young was driving a vehicle with Pilgrim as the passenger.
The purpose of the police interaction is not clear at this time, but body cam footage from the perspective of former Sgt. Hood was released and showcases the interaction from contact to detainment of Young and Pilgrim.
From the footage released, Hood was speaking with the driver of the vehicle and it appears there was some sort of exchange.
Hood opens the driver’s side door, and Young then speeds off until blocked by traffic shortly up the road.
From there, the six officers at the center of this controversy encircled the vehicle, employing the use of tasers to detain both Young and his passenger, Pilgrim.
Upon reviewing the body cam footage, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office charged the six officers with a variety of different charges.
Hood is facing two charges of aggravated assault and one count of simple battery.
Gardner is charged with a single count of aggravated assault.
Both Jones and Streeter are charged with one count of aggravated assault and one count of pointing or aiming a gun at an individual.
Sauls and Claud are charged with criminal damage for allegedly breaking the driver’s side window of the car, with Sauls also being charged with aggravated assault.
Of all the officers charged in the incident, two of the terminated officers are suing the department in order to get their jobs back.
Streeter and Gardner allege in their lawsuit that the use-of-force employed during the stop was consistent with APD protocols, which Streeter has 16 years with the department and Gardner 22 years within the APD.
In their lawsuit, the fired officers seek reinstatement to their jobs, as well as back pay and benefits. >> https://t.co/kZAHO7sqVa
— WTVYNews4 (@WTVYNews4) June 10, 2020
The lawsuit states the following about the force used during the stop:
“[The officers’] use of force was proper and in compliance with the law, the policies of the Atlanta Police Department, prevailing standards of law enforcement, and the training provided to them through the City of Atlanta Police Department and the State of Georgia.”
If there’s merit to the aforementioned, then that would mean any force utilized during the controversial stop would fall under the responsibility of the department – and not the officers who were allegedly trained to exercise that degree of force.
Whatever comes from either the lawsuit or the criminal charges will undoubtedly create a ripple effect within law enforcement and interactions with suspects. Namely because there are charges related to not only the use of tasers, but also from police drawing a weapon on a suspect.
Make no mistake, this is going to be one of those landmark cases that will be referenced in future criminal cases.
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