Protesters: Officer accused of beating woman with baton should be fired

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Protests continued Tuesday in DeKalb County over the arrest of a woman by an officer using his baton.

The GBI is now investigating the use of force after cellphone video surfaced of the arrest on June 4.

Officer PJ Larscheid says Katie McCrary, a 38-year-old, mentally-challenged woman, was begging customers for money at a Chevron Gas station on Glenwood Road, and was resisting arrest when he pulled out his baton.

On Tuesday, a small group of protesters took their concerns to the county commission.

They said they represent the New Order National Human Rights Organization and are upset at the way the county is handling the officer's actions.

The protesters demanded the officer be fired and prosecuted and that DeKalb elected officials speak out and take a stand.

During a break in a meeting Tuesday morning, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond came outside to speak to the protesters.

Thurmond said he first wants to see the full investigation before making a judgment.

“Of course I wasn’t there, none of us were there. That’s the first thing I need ... the facts. I have trust the system will bring a clear, accurate report of what happened … as justice will be done,” Thurmond told Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach.

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In downtown Atlanta Tuesday, several state representatives spoke out, pushing for a thorough investigation.

They told Channel 2's Sophia Choi that they want Larscheid fired, saying that what he did was something that shouldn’t even be done to animals.

“I would never want to see an animal treated as it looked as though she was being treated,” State Senator Elena Parent told Choi. “I would never want to see a dog beaten that way.”

Some state leaders say that what’s happening in the video is abuse.

State Representative Renitta Shannon said, “There needs to be accountability for police in general. Sometimes it’s not about the training, it’s about the character of the officer.”

Shannon wants to see Larscheid “appropriately charged criminally for his actions.”

McCrary's estranged husband said he agrees with those state leaders.

“Nobody is above the law,” estranged husband Antoine McCrary said. “Nobody is under the law. So I just feel like he needs to pay for what he did wrong.”

Supervisors initially cleared Officer PJ Larscheid after the incident, but police reopened the case after a witness posted the video on YouTube.

The officer remains on restricted duty during the investigation.

Larscheid was named the 2014 Officer of the Year by the North Decatur Lions Club.

Cox Media Group