Fatal Traffic Stop Video Of Atlanta Black Deacon Soon To Be Released
Video of a traffic stop in Georgia that led to a Black deacon’s death while in police custody could be released later this week, ABC News reports.
After a Monday (Oct. 9) meeting with prospectors, a lawyer for the family of Johnny Hollman Sr. said the footage could be released as early as Thursday (Oct. 12).
Family lawyer Mawuli Davis said he was informed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis that the video would be made public after the conclusion of witness interviews.
Hollman, 62, died in police custody after being shocked by an Atlanta officer’s stun gun on Aug. 10. After Hollman’s family viewed the video, they have no doubt that the officer should receive murder charges.
Davis told reporters outside the Fulton County courthouse on Monday, “It’s not a question of if it will be released; it’s now a question of when and how soon.”
The length of time it may take to decide whether to press charges against officer Kiran Kimbrough, the man who shocked Hollman with the stun gun, is unknown, Willis’ spokesperson Jeff DiSantis stated. DiSantis added that an indictment could take months.
According to the Atlanta police, Hollman was the at-fault driver in a collision and became agitated when officers tried to issue him a traffic citation, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Hollman “became non-compliant” and Kimbrough attempted to take him into custody, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined. Hollman and Kimbrough got into a physical struggle, which led the officer to use a Taser.
He was initially on his way home for dinner with his wife after attending bible study at his daughter’s house.
Hollman and the other driver waited more than an hour before officers arrived.
Hollman’s daughter, Arnitra Hollman, said she was on the phone with her father and listened to what was happening for more than 17 minutes and ended up going to the wreckage.
“Our position is that it was an unwarranted, unjustifiable assault that led to a death, and in my book that is murder,” Davis said.
Reports have been made that Hollman refused to sign the issued citation from Kimbrough, but Davis said that’s a “false narrative,” and the video will show Hollman agreed many times to sign. Davis added that Hollman told Kimbrough he had asthma and breathing trouble.
An autopsy revealed that Hollman’s death was a homicide, with a medical examiner finding that heart disease was a contributor.
According to WSB, medical examiner Dr. Melissa Sims-Stanley concluded that Hollman was unresponsive after being stunned. Hollman’s truck contained nine bags of marijuana, roughly 1 ounce of an unknown substance, 20 clear bags, a scale and a gun according to a police reports.
“None of that had anything to do with the officer’s behavior,” Davis said.
This is an ongoing investigation.