ATLANTA — The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office said it cannot prosecute the man accused of hijacking a bus in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday and shooting and killing someone board while putting a gun to the driver’s head and making them drive across three counties.
A total of 17 people were on board the bus at the time and were held hostage. According to a letter obtained by Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne, a legal assistant from the Fulton County DA’s Office was one of those passengers on the hijacked bus and was allegedly threatened by the hijacker.
Fulton DA says her office cannot prosecute gunman charged with hijacking bus, killing man on board by WSB-TV on Scribd
Based on preliminary information that Winne has learned about the case, that person may have had a gun held to his head.
In the letter from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, it said the “District Attorney is conflicted because it has been determined that a victim/witness, in this case, is a current employee of the Office of the District Attorney for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit.”
If the council accepts Willis’ recommendation, the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia will have to find and appoint a district attorney to prosecute the case.
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Joseph Grier, 39, faces more than 30 charges in connection to the incident.
Grier was set to make his first appearance in court on Wednesday morning but waived his right to appear.
He remains in the Fulton County Jail without bond.
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