Third cop pleads guilty to federal charges in Johnston probe
October 30, 2008 at 5:27 pm by Mara Shalhoup in NewsFormer Atlanta Police officer Arthur Tesler pleaded guilty today in federal court to conspiracy to violate civil rights resulting in death. Tesler, who was convicted of a state charge earlier this year, is the third cop to plead to federal charges in the fatal police shooting of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston.
The other two officers, Gregg Junnier and Jason Smith, cooperated early on with the FBI and entered guilty pleas. (Tesler initially declined a plea offer.) Junnier and Smith face 10 years on voluntary manslaughter charges, though their sentences could be reduced due to their cooperation. Tesler, who was sentenced to four years on the state charge, now faces 10 years on the federal one.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office:
“Officers Tesler, Smith, and Junnier, however, repeatedly ignored the requirements of our Constitution and violated the civil rights of the citizens they were sworn to protect, and it was inevitable that one day their illegal ‘shortcuts’ would lead to tragedy. … [T]he cooperation of Junnier and Smith and the dedicated investigation by the FBI have brought other police misconduct to light.
“The FBI also announced today that it has completed its investigation of the Kathryn Johnston shooting and other misconduct by APD officers. … The FBI will therefore soon be providing a report on the investigation to APD Chief Richard Pennington for consideration of potential administrative discipline or state charges against other APD officers.”
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