Photo of the day: Anniversary Kathryn Johnston shooting November 21 2011

Today is the 5th anniversary of the murder of Kathryn Johnston.

Image

  • Joeff Davis
  • Today is the fifth anniversary of Kathryn Johnston’s killing by Atlanta police. A mural, and a shrine of stuffed animals and flowers decorate the vacant Atlanta home where she lived and was killed.



Today is the fifth anniversary of the murder of Kathryn Johnston. On November 21, 2006, Atlanta police officers broke down the door of 92-year old Johnston’s Neal Street home in Northwest Atlanta, and fired 39 shots at Johnston, killing her. Johnston, who believed her house was being broken into, had fired a single shot at the door. Atlanta police later admitted that after killing Johnston, they’d planted marijuana in her house and had submitted false paper work to get the “no knock” warrant that they used to justify breaking down her front door.

Four Atlanta police officers were sentenced to prison time for Johnston’s shooting.

Tonight members of Occupy Atlanta and the Atlanta October 22nd Coalition will lead a march to mark the anniversary of Johnston’s killing and “against the reckless and wanton police murders of fellow Atlantans,” they say in a press release. The press release also mentions the recent killing of Joetavius Stafford, the “seemingly unarmed” teenager who was shot by a MARTA police officer at the Vine City station in mid-October. Shortly after the death, MARTA officials claimed that Stafford was armed, but have yet to release evidence backing up these statements. Stafford’s brother Rodney was quoted in an 11 Alive report as saying that his brother had his hands up when he was shot. “I witnessed that he was shot in the back,” Rodney Stafford said. “My little brother had his hands up, and they shot him in the back.”

The march starts at Woodruff Park tonight at 8:30.