On Tuesday (June 2), Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said that charges were being filed against the six police officers who were involved in the incident involving Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young, two college students who were pulled from their cars and tased during the Atlanta protests.
The entire incident was caught on live news. Two of those officers were immediately fired and three others were placed on desk duty. “Based upon our consideration of the facts, we have this morning, presented to one of our superior court judges six arrest warrants,” Howard said.
According to 11 Alive, the officers charged were Ivory Streeter, Mark Gardner, Lonnie Hood, Willie Sauls, Armon Jones and Roland Claud. Charges ranged from aggravated assault, aggravated battery, criminal damage to property and pointing a gun.
“I feel a little safer now that these monsters are off of the street and no longer able to terrorize anyone else,” said Young Tuesday (June 2).
“It was just ridiculous. I’m happy they’re being held accountable,” said Pilgrim. “I hope every police officer that thinks it’s OK to just drag someone, beat someone, do all this stuff — because they’re cops? I hope they’re all going to be held accountable as well.”
Protests have erupted across the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd. He was killed at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers. Video footage showed former officer Derek Chauvin with his knee planted onto Floyd’s neck as he called out multiple times that he could not breathe. He kept his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd became unconscious and later died at the hospital. All four officers have been fired and Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Check out video from the press conference below.