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Fired Atlanta Officers Sue Mayor & Police Chief

Two Atlanta police officers who were fired after video showed them using stun guns on two college students pulled from a car in traffic during a protest against police brutality have sued the city to try to get their jobs back.

ATLANTA (AP) — Two Atlanta police officers who were fired after video showed them using stun guns on two college students pulled from a car in traffic during a protest against police brutality have sued the city to try to get their jobs back.

Former Investigators Mark Gardner and Ivory Streeter sued Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Police Chief Erika Shields on Monday.

This photo provided by Fulton County Sheriff’s Office shows Ivory Streeter. Atlanta Chief Erika Shields fired two officers and benched three others involved in an incident with two college students during protests in the death of George Floyd who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020. A prosecutor announced criminal charges, Tuesday, June 2 against six officers.  Streeter is charged with Aggravated Assault and Pointing or Aiming Pistol or Gun at Another. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

They claim they were fired in violation of the city's code, without investigation, proper notice or a pre-disciplinary hearing.

Bottoms and Shields have said they reviewed body camera footage from the May 30 incident and decided to fire the officers immediately and place three others on desk duty. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard brought criminal charges on June 2 against Gardner, Streeter and four other officers involved in the incident.

Gardner and Streeter are charged with aggravated assault — Gardner for using a Taser against 20-year-old Taniyah Pilgrim and Streeter for using a Taser against 22-year-old Messiah Young — according to warrants.

This photo provided by Fulton County Sheriff’s Office shows Mark Gardner. Atlanta Chief Erika Shields fired two officers and benched three others involved in an incident with two college students during protests in the death of George Floyd who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020. A prosecutor announced criminal charges, Tuesday, June 2 against six officers.  Gardner is charged with Aggravated Assault. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

Pilgrim and Young, who are dating, are students at different historically black colleges near downtown Atlanta. Pilgrim was released the night of the incident with no charges. Young was arrested and charged with eluding police, but the mayor has said she ordered the charges dropped.

Shields has since questioned the timing and appropriateness of the charges against the officers.

In their lawsuit, the fired officers seek reinstatement to their jobs, back pay and benefits. They claims they were denied due process, and that the other officers who "engaged in substantially similar conduct" were not dismissed. Both Gardner and Streeter are African American.

Neither Bottoms nor the police department responded to a request for comment late Monday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Attorneys for the college students have said their clients were caught in traffic caused by a protest over the May 25 police custody death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Four Minneapolis officers were arrested in the death of the African American man.

Categories / Civil Rights, Employment, Government

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