Two members of the Atlanta Police Department were fired after a video surfaced of their encounter with a Morehouse and Spelman College student. In the video, officers can be seen breaking into the window of the car and pulling Spelman College student Taniyah Pilgrim out of the car. Meanwhile, an officer tased Morehouse College’s Messiah Young inside of the car.
“It was the worst experience of my life,” Pilgrim said.
Hours after the video surfaced, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told reporters that both officers had been relived of their duties.
“As we watch the video today, it became abundantly clear immediately with the young woman that this force was excessive,” she said.
“It also became abundantly clear that the officer who tased the young man needed to be terminated as well,” the mayor added.
Spelman SGA stands in solidarity with Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young.
We will continue to keep you updated.
Please take care of your mental health tonight, AUC family. #Redefined79 #StudentsLikeYou pic.twitter.com/o5JNs6UwxZ
— Spelman College SGA (@SpelmanSGA) May 31, 2020
An officer involved in the incident claimed that he thought one of the two students had a weapon. Being unable to see Young’s hands, he claims that he used the taser to defuse the situation.
“I heard officers say gun two-three times,” the officer wrote in a report.
“Not being able to see the hands of the passenger and being that she was in my immediate sight I deployed my city issued taser to defuse the situation,” the officer continued.
The two students were detained before being released. Young was charged, but the charges were dropped on Sunday morning. It is unclear if these officers will face any charges or a lawsuit from Young or Pilgrim.
