After Students Pulled From Car, 6 Atlanta Officers Charged

2 of them were fired after the Saturday night confrontation
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 2, 2020 2:58 PM CDT

A high-profile incident caught on video in Atlanta has led to more than just two officers being fired. Six officers who involved in the arrests of two college students who were pulled out of a car amid protests in the city Saturday night have been criminally charged, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced Tuesday. The AP reports the officers allegedly pulled 20-year-old Spelman student Taniyah Pilgrim from the car shortly after noticing that the driver, 22-year-old Morehouse student Messiah Young, appeared to be shooting video of a man who had been taken into custody. Young was told to stop the car and open the window; officers allegedly ultimately broke the window, used a stun gun on Young, and pulled him from the car. Both students were arrested. Howard said the investigation into Pilgrim and Young "concluded they were so innocent almost to the point of being naive."

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports Pilgrim and Young shared their "satisfaction" and thankfulness regarding the charges. "I feel safer now that these monsters are off the street and no longer able to terrorize people," said Young, who CNN notes had a cast on his arm. His arm was fractured and he needed 24 stitches as a result of being pulled from the car. Howard said Young also told investigators that as he was led from the scene, an officer punched his back more than 10 times. Those charged, who have until the end of the day Friday to turn themselves in:

  • Officer Ivory Streeter (fired): aggravated assault, pointing or aiming a gun
  • Officer Mark Gardner (fired): aggravated assault
  • Officer Lonnie Hood (desk duty): aggravated assault, simple battery
  • Officer Willie Sauls (desk duty): aggravated assault, criminal damage to property
  • Officer E. Armond Jones (desk duty): aggravated battery, pointing or aiming a gun
  • Officer F. Ronald Claud (desk duty): criminal damage to property.
(More George Floyd stories.)

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