SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — The City of South Fulton will no longer allow officers to arrest drivers who refuse to sign tickets.
The change comes after the death of Deacon Johnny Hollman, who died after an interaction with an Atlanta Police Officer.
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It’s been five months since Hollman died and his family is still fighting for justice.
He died after being tased by an Atlanta Police officer in August after his initial refusal to sign a traffic ticket following a minor accident. The interaction was captured on police-worn body camera video.
But one thing they fought for, which is the release of the police-worn body camera video, has led to a policy change here in the City of South Fulton.
“When you watch that video, you look at my daddy and even when he was down and asking for help it was no compassion,” said Arnitra Hollman, Deacon Hollman’s daughter.
And that video struck a nerve with the City of South Fulton Councilmember Helen Willis.
“It was heart-wrenching,” said Councilmember Willis. “I think about my grandparents.”
It’s why Willis pushed through a new resolution this week she hopes will prevent a similar incident involving South Fulton police officers.
State Law allows officers the discretion to arrest drivers who refuse to sign traffic tickets. The Atlanta police officer who tased Hollman was using that discretion when arresting the deacon.
But with the approval of the city council, officers in South Fulton will not have that choice.
“Our officers will notate refusal to sign if they refuse to sign the ticket,” said Councilmember Willis. “I just want us to learn from the mistakes and we don’t make the mistakes.”
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“I’m going to say it gives me hope because the hope that I have is that this will never happen to someone else the way it happened to my father,” said Arnitra Hollman.
Atlanta Police changed their policy to allow drivers to not sign tickets without the threat of arrest following Hollman’s death.
For Hollman’s daughters, policy changes are one step. But they say they have more work to do.
“I won’t have peace until he’s arrested and indicted and prosecuted for what he did to our father,” said Hollman about the officer who tased her father.
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