Fresh Loaf

The Atlanta City Council has decided that Police Chief Richard Pennington must comply with an oversight committee’s request to release documents related to the police shootings of Kathryn Johnston and Pierre George.

According to an Atlanta City Council spokesman, the Committee on Council:

Issued a subpoena at the request of the Citizen Review Board to compel Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington to produce requested documents as well as the criminal investigation file regarding the police shooting of Kathryn Johnston.

Issued a subpoena at the request of the Citizen Review Board to compel Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington to produce requested documents as well as the criminal investigation file regarding the police shooting of Pierre George.

UPDATED: Cristina Beamud, executive director of the Atlanta Citizen Review Board, tells CL:

“On behalf of the board, we’re very pleased. And we thank the Committee on Council and, most importantly, Chair Felicia Moore for her support on this issue. The public still has a lot of questions about what went wrong, and what we can do to make sure [what happened], or something similar, doesn’t happen again. And we don’t think there have been enough answers if people are still asking those questions…It’s very difficult to give constructive criticism unless you know what caused it and how it can be prevented.”

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The three former Atlanta police officers involved in the 2006 shooting death of a 92-year-old woman will be sentenced Monday on federal civil rights conspiracy charges.

Former officer Arthur Tesler pleaded guilty to the charge last October. 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.)

All three men also faced state charges. Junnier and Smith could serve up to 10 years after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter — though their sentences could be reduced due to their cooperation. Tesler, who was sentenced to four years on a lesser state charge, faces 10 years on the federal one.

In November 2006, the defendants and a handful of other Atlanta cops executed a search warrant at 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston’s Neal Street home — a warrant based on false information that illegal drugs could be found inside. After firing 39 rounds at Johnston and killing her, the officers planted drugs in her house to cover their tracks.

Monday’s sentencing is expected to last for several hours and might continue on Tuesday.

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More than a year and a half after its creation, Atlanta’s Citizen Review Board has started investigating cases of police misconduct.

The board was formed in the aftermath of the Thanksgiving-eve 2006 killing of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston, who was repeatedly shot in her home by two Atlanta cops serving an illegally obtained warrant.

According to a press release:

On November 13, 2008, the Atlanta Citizen Review Board held its monthly meeting and considered its first seven complaints.  The Board voted unanimously to seek further investigation or information concerning three of the complaints and to refer two of the remaining four complaints to the Atlanta Police Department Office of Professional Standards.  The remaining two complaints have already been investigated by the Office of Professional Standards.

The ordinance requires … that the complaints fall into six specific categories of alleged misconduct.  The categories include abusive language, false arrest, false imprisonment, harassment, excessive force, and serious bodily injury or death which is alleged to be the result of a sworn employee of the police or corrections departments.  The four cases that were dismissed were either untimely or did not fall into the classifications authorized by the Ordinance.

So I guess the board doesn’t hear allegations of bribery or corruption — just garden-variety brutality. Best leave complaints about systemic ills to the APD’s in-house Office of Professional Affairs, huh.

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Now that the FBI has concluded its investigation into the death of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston at the hands of two Atlanta cops, the police department has formed a task force to conduct its own internal probe of Johnston’s killing.

Here’s what Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington said (in a press release) about the creation of the task force:

Following the November 21, 2006 death of Ms. Kathryn Johnston at 933 Neal Street, I asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to commence an independent investigation into Ms. Johnston’s death.  The scope of the FBI investigation included allegations of criminal acts as well as other misconduct. I would like to thank the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office for their help and assistance in conducting this investigation regarding criminal misconduct. …

The Atlanta Police Department should be given an opportunity to review the actions of its own employees for the purpose of determining whether administrative charges are appropriate. If it is deemed appropriate, adminstrative action will be taken against officers as warranted.

My question is, where does the city’s newly created Citizen Review Board — a board that came into existence as a result of the Johnston killing — fit into all this?

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Former 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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This photo, taken yesterday, makes it look as if all is peachy keen over at Atlanta Police headquarters. Nope, no woeful under-staffing here. Officer morale is at an all-time high!

Actually, the mood at City Hall East more closely resembles this.

Note to developer Emory Morsberger, City Hall East’s soon-to-be owner: If you were to permanently install a rainbow over the 1920s, former Sears, Roebuck & Co. distribution center, you could easily charge 20 percent more for the 1,100 lofts that will replace the dismal police cubicles. Just a thought.

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‘WITHIN REACH’: Obama gives a quasi-victory speech in Iowa without actually declaring victory, after Clinton runs away with Kentucky and he wins Oregon, leaving him about 70 delegates shy of securing the nomination.

HAMILTON JORDAN: The right-hand man of President Jimmy Carter, and part of the “Georgia Mafia,” dies at his home in Atlanta at the age of 63.

TED KENNEDY: Massachusetts senator’s malignant brain tumor is likely life-threatening, although no treatment plan has yet been announced. Reuters examines the prospects of the Kennedy legacy after his tenure.

TESLER GUILTY: Rookie cop involved in Kathryn Johnston shooting is found guilty of lying to investigators, but is cleared of two more serious charges.

BEYOND THE SHADOW OF A DROUGHT: Some Georgia pols seem unaware that being in a drought doesn’t mean it never rains.

MATT RYAN: Signs with the Falcons for $72 million over six years.

SMOLTZ: Shuts us out of his life.

AUTISM AND VACCINES: Georgia Supreme Court considers whether suits alleging vaccines caused autism are pre-empted by a federal law.

HARTSFIELD SATISFACTION DOWN: Canceled flights, lost luggage and waiting in lines while holding their shoes doesn’t satisfy airline passengers as much as it used to.

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TEACHING TO THE TESTAMENT: Bible-as-literature classes clear legal hurdles in Tennessee and Georgia.

FLOCK ENROLL: Atlanta is the No. 1 major metropolitan area in the nation for college enrollment growth over the last 17 years and No. 2 in number of degrees awarded.

OVERRIDE: City Council takes Mayor Franklin down a notch by overriding three of her recent vetoes.

TESLER TRIAL: Jury deadlocked.

LANIER: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers takes heavy fire for its water-releasin’ ways at the Lake Lanier Association’s annual meeting Monday; the association is so fed up it’s funding its own scientific study on how much water the downstream mussels need to live.

GRADY CURVE: Grady Health System is officially taken over by Grady Memorial Hospital Corp. today, and also receives the first $50 million installment of the $200 million the Robert M. Woodruff Foundation pledged.

FOOT (AND MOUTH) IN THE DOOR: The U.S. farm bill includes a provision allowing the incurable foot-and-mouth disease to be studied in a mainland U.S. facility, clearing the way for the National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility, for which Athens is one of six candidates.

COMING TO BLOWS: Sustained wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph expected today.

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MYANMAR CYCLONE: Death toll exceeds 22,000.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: Georgia’s the first state to start killing prisoners again, with William Earl Lynd scheduled to be lethally injected at 7 tonight.

GEORGIA AQUARIUM: Adding dolphins, as well as 1.3 million gallons of water for them.

NORREESE HAYNES: Clayton judge says Haynes can’t have his school board seat back and he sued the wrong group, since the school board doesn’t administer elections. Haynes says he’ll appeal and now sue the right group, the board of elections.

MORE IN CLAYTON: New corrective superintendent is making all school administrators reapply for their jobs.

FALCONS: Linebacker Michael Boley arrested in Dacula on charges he beat his wife.

KEPT ON TRUCKING: Disgruntled truck driver drives truck cab into lake.

ARTHUR TESLER: Trial underway for the only cop involved in Kathryn Johnston shooting to plead not guilty; lawyers say he was manipulated by two senior officers.

MAN FROM PLANES: Delta prez explains to surly Minnesota lawmakers that he’s going to be taking their Northwest HQ back to Atlanta.

DOT FIRINGS: WSB-TV open-records request finds reasons why Gena Abraham has fired 43 employees since taking over in December, ranging from theft, pulling a machete on another employee, bringing a gun to work and e-mailing porn.

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PENNSYLVANIANS: Vote today to determine which candidate’s cable-news-fueled faux controversies have most distracted them.

COMIC RELEAF: Hagar the Horrible, Snuffy Smith and 43 other comic strips unite for Earth Day-themed strips today.

STUNNING: Byron, Ga.-based company indicted for allegedly relabeling and selling faulty stun grenades to the FBI.

TESLER TRIAL: Judge closes jury selection to media and public, sans explanation.

REVOLTING DEVELOPMENT: Hall County would like the drought to end so it can start sprawling again.

SMOLTZ: Four strikeouts away from No. 3,000; could get it tonight in Atlanta.

ANDRUW JONES: Flailing.

PANS: Being handled more often in Atlanta, according to ACVB study.

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’: Truck crashes into bank branch in Gainesville. And in case you can’t quite picture what this looked like from the driver’s point of view, AccessNorthGa has you covered.

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OBAMA: Getting snarkier, outspending Clinton 2-to-1 on TV ads in Pa. on Primary Eve.

GRACE UNDER FIRES: Okefenokee Swamp open, still recovering from last year’s forest fires; boat tours survey remaining damage.

A NICE METH YOU’VE GOTTEN ME INTO: CNN reporter arrested in Central Park with meth in his pocket while returning to his hotel room with friends.

THE TRIALS OF ABRAHAM: Smitten DOT commish to announce today whether she plans to stay in her post, will then be voted in or out by the board.

KATHRYN JOHNSTON SHOOTING: Jury selection for Arthur Tesler’s trial begins today.

THE NEGOTIATOR: Jimmy Carter gets Hamas to agree to hypothetical peace deal, gets snubbed by Israelis.

HAWKS: Lose Game 1 handily.

JUNK FEUD: NBA players LeBron James and DeShawn Stevenson hold proxy feud via rappers Jay-Z and Soulja Boy.

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Deciding between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama won’t be Rep. John Lewis’ only challenge this spring.

The Rev. Markel Hutchins, the 30-year-old minister and activist best known for being the public spokesman for the family of 92-year-old police shooting victim Kathryn Johnston, on Wednesday will announce his bid to unseat the 11-term congressman.

In a letter to friends and supporters, Hutchins calls Lewis a mentor, but pointedly refers to him as an icon of “yesteryears.” Hutchins faults Lewis in his letter for failing to bring federal dollars to the 5th Congressional District, as well as for formally endorsing Sen. Clinton’s run for president.

Hutchins will announce his candidacy at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday from the run-down bridge portion of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, adjacent to the Russell Federal Building. The location’s bridge/crumbling infrastructure/MLK symbolism is intentional.

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(photo by Joeff Davis)

KATHRYN JOHNSTON ANNIVERSARY: FTP vigil outside Johnston’s home

Thanksgiving eve was the first anniversary of the killing of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston by Atlanta police. Johnston was shot multiple times during a bogus drug raid, after which cops planted drugs to cover up their crime.

Shortly before the mayor and Chief Pennington’s photo-op memorial ceremony outside her home, a group calling itself FTP held its own vigil. Part of the group’s “Cease Fire: Stop Police Terrorism Campaign,” the gathering included speakers from Operation Lead, New Order, International Action Center and Coalition for Justice, all speaking out against what they call an epidemic of police shootings of African-American victims in major cities across the United States.

Among the speakers was ex-Rep. Cynthia McKinney, who told the crowd about the four unarmed African-Americans who had been killed by Miami police in the 19 days prior to the vigil.

FTP spokesman Kalonji Changa mocked the prison sentences the two white officers who’ve already pleaded guilty for the shooting will receive. If he (Changa), an African-American, had burst into a woman’s home and killed her, he asked, “Would I be facing only 10-12 years?” “No!” was the crowd’s response.

The vigil ended with a march through the streets to the chants of “Rise up! We are not going to take it anymore.”

Several hours later, the crowd at Mayor Shirley Franklin and Atlanta police Chief Richard Pennington’s vigil was larger, but police officers outnumbered members of the community. In a ceremony called “Remembrance and Healing,” and heavy on photo opportunities, two white birds were released and candles were lit.

Asked about the two separate gatherings, FTP spokesmen Kalonji Changa said, “The cease-fire campaign is about justice for the people. We feel the city event was more a mockery of justice.”

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