Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields said in an email to employees late Tuesday that multiple law enforcement agencies have stopped assisting the department during the ongoing protests because Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced criminal
charges against six officers involved in an arrest Saturday.
Atlanta, like cities across the country, has experienced continued unrest over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Shields said that although her officers had escalated a “low-level”
encounter with two college students and behaved inappropriately, she never discussed charging the officers with the district attorney or Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Attorney Mawuli Mel Davis (left) speaks on behalf of Taniyah Pilgrim (second from left) and Messiah Young (second from right)during a press conference by the Fulton County District Attorney's Office in Atlanta, Monday, June 2, 2020. District Attorney Paul Howard and members of the Fulton County District Attorney's Office are pressing charges against 6 Atlanta Police Officers for their involvement in the assault and property damage to Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young. Attorney Mawuli Mel Davis is representing Messiah Young. (ALYSSA POINTER /
ALYSSA.POINTER@AJC.COM)
Photo: Alyssa Pointer/ALYSSA.POINTER@AJC.COM
The memo does not say which agencies have stopped assisting Atlanta Police, or how many officers have pulled out.
She described Howard’s actions as being politically motivated. Howard is facing two challengers in the June 9 Democratic primary, Fani Willis and Christian Wise Smith.
“Now that the charges have been announced, I’m very concerned with the space we find ourselves in, both tactically and emotionally,” Shields’ email says. “Multiple agencies that were assisting us in managing this incredibly volatile time have pulled out, effective immediately. They are not comfortable with their employees being leveraged politically by the potential of also facing criminal charges.
“The officers were fired because I felt that is what had to occur. This does not mean for a moment that I will sit quietly by and watch our employees get swept up in the tsunami of political jockeying during an election year.”
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard faces two challengers in the June 9 primary. TYSON HORNE /
TYSON.HORNE@AJC.COM
Photo: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bottoms and Shields apologized Sunday for what Bottoms described as “clearly excessive force” used by Atlanta Police during the encounter. They made the decision after reviewing hours of video from seven officers’ body cameras.
Shields said she thought the officers’ actions would be justifable, but the video changed her mind.
“The more I watched and the more I listened it was apparent we were in the wrong,” Shields’ email says. “We gave conflicting instructions; we didn’t allow the driver or passenger a chance to respond – we created chaos and we escalated a low-level encounter into a space where we introduced violence. Once this occurs, we need to own it.”
Shields went on to say that she personally knows the officers and described them as “good people and good cops.”
“But if we are ever going to change the narrative around policing, we must be committed to being accountable always, regardless of the situation or the additional stress it may bring,” Shelds said in the document.
TEXT OF CHIEF ERIKA SHIELDS’ EMAIL
Good Evening,
Typically, I would begin with a broad “thank you” for all the amazing work we have accomplished over the last, largely miserable, five days. But I am aware that those comments may very likely be received with skepticism at this point, so let’s hit it head on:
I spent approximately four hours on Sunday watching all of the available video of our officers’ incident involving the college students in downtown Atlanta. I went in believing our actions justified and understandable given the environment we find ourselves in; one that is highly dangerous and unpredictable. The more I watched and the more I listened it was apparent we were in the wrong. We gave conflicting instructions; we didn’t allow the driver or passenger a chance to respond – we created chaos and we escalated a low-level encounter into a space where we introduced violence. Once this occurs, we need to own it.
I personally know the terminated officers and they are good people and good cops. In a heated moment they made multiple mistakes and are being held accountable. Yes, it sucks, and I am beyond discouraged- I’ve been there, and I know just how hard this job is. But if we are ever going to change the narrative around policing, we must be committed to being accountable always, regardless of the situation or the additional stress it may bring.
Our intention was to carry out an administrative investigation into the actions of the other officers on scene; criminal charges were never part of any discussion that I had with the Mayor or her administration. The criminal piece was brought to my attention yesterday through a fellow employee. Upon receiving the information, I called the DA and strongly expressed my concern, both to the appropriateness and the timing of any charges. Now that the charges have been announced, I’m very concerned with the space we find ourselves in, both tactically and emotionally. Multiple agencies that were assisting us in managing this incredibly volatile time have pulled out, effective immediately. They are not comfortable with their employees being leveraged politically by the potential of also facing criminal charges.
I am providing you with this level of detail because you need to know what is going on if there is any chance of us navigating our current state safely. The officers were fired because I felt that is what had to occur. This does not mean for a moment that I will sit quietly by and watch our employees get swept up in the tsunami of political jockeying during an election year. Stay strong and know that we will find better days ahead, Chief Shields
Covid19 is still very much a thing and cop are spitting on people? Smh.
