ATLANTA — The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office plans to release the police body camera footage in the death of an Atlanta deacon who was Tased during a traffic stop on Wednesday morning.
On Aug. 10, Atlanta police said Johnny Hollman, 62, was involved in a fender bender off Joseph E. Lowery Blvd and called 911 to report it. Police said Hollman became “agitated and uncooperative” when he refused to sign a traffic citation.
Officer Kiran Kimbrough, 23, used a stun gun on Hollman. At some point during the arrest, Hollman became unresponsive and Kimbrough called paramedics. Hollman later died at the hospital. Police fired Officer Kimbrough for not calling a supervisor to the scene before he decided to arrest the deacon.
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In September, APD shared the body camera video with Hollman’s children, wife and their attorneys at City Hall showing moments the last moments of a 62-year-old man’s life before he was Tased. The family has been demanding for the video’s release to the public.
“At the end of the day, we’re still seeking for this video to be released,” said Hollman’s daughter, Arnitra, told Channel 2 Action News.
Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln spoke with the family’s attorney, Mawuli Davis on Tuesday.
“The family will experience their first holiday without Deacon Hollman,” he said.
Davis, who has seen the video, says it paints a different picture than the narrative released by police.
“The officer slams him on the ground, he’s on top of him,” Davis said. “He was actually the victim of violence...We heard him say, ‘I’ll sign the ticket, I’ll sign the ticket, I’ll sign the ticket.’ He says it three times.”
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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis spoke exclusively to Channel 2 Action News after she sat down with the family herself.
She said the Atlanta Police Department has now decided to stop requiring people to sign the ticket in cases like this and the policy has also changed on releasing video.
“We now have a policy in place where the Atlanta Police Department, the GBI, and the DA’s office will meet 60 days after an incident occurs where someone requests video to go and be made public, and we’ll meet and see if it’s the appropriate time to release that video to the public. If it’s not the appropriate time, then we’ll meet again within the next 60 days to make that determination,” Willis said.
The DA’s Office did not confirm the date or time for when the video will be released, but it is expected to become available this week.
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