For months, politicians including Mayor Andre Dickens and Gov. Brian Kemp have characterized the Stop Cop City movement as being composed of outside “agitators” coming to cause trouble in Atlanta. The 85-acre public safety training facility is set to be built in the South River Forest in south DeKalb County. Surrounded by majority Black neighborhoods, […]
Madeline Thigpen
Madeline Thigpen is Capital B Atlanta's criminal justice reporter.
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Yes, Black People Are Protesting ‘Cop City,’ Too
For months, politicians including Mayor Andre Dickens and Gov. Brian Kemp have characterized the Stop Cop City movement as being composed of outside “agitators” coming to cause trouble in Atlanta. The 85-acre public safety training facility is set to be built in the South River Forest in south DeKalb County. Surrounded by majority Black neighborhoods, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Comedians’ Atlanta Airport Racial Profiling Suit Faces Qualified Immunity Challenge
An attorney representing the four Clayton County law enforcement officers being sued for alleged racial profiling at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming qualified immunity. The officers are being sued by stand-up comedians Eric Andre and Clayton English, who were, on separate occasions, stopped and questioned while trying […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Tale of the Tape: An Expert Weighs In on the ‘Cop City’ Bodycam Footage
Newly released body camera footage from a deadly encounter at “Cop City” has left locals with more questions than answers. Last week, speculation around the events that led to the Jan. 18 shooting in South River Forest has grown since the Atlanta Police Department released videos from officers in the vicinity of where environmental activist […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety
Who Is ‘Cop City’ For? Residents Living Near the Site Aren’t So Sure.
Jacqueline Crew is a longtime resident of south DeKalb County who says she had not heard of “Cop City” until the deadly standoff that killed environmental activist Manuel “Tortuguita” Paez Terán, and left a Georgia state trooper wounded. “I knew nothing about it. I have not heard nothing from the commissioners. I haven’t heard any […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Kemp Declares State of Emergency Over Stop ‘Cop City’ Movement
Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Thursday as tension between police and ‘Cop City’ protesters has brought international attention to Atlanta. Kemp has ordered 1,000 Georgia National Guard troops to be ready to intervene after Saturday’s vigil turned into a protest where some activists “threw rocks, launched fireworks, and burned a police vehicle […]
Posted inCity Politics, Criminal Justice, Policing
Deadly ‘Cop City’ Shooting Divides Residents, Activists, and Law Enforcement
Marcus Hunter bought a home near South River Forest in 2013. The IT consultant said he and many of his neighbors have become numb to hearing about the conflicts between protesters and law enforcement officers at the future site of a massive public safety training facility, dubbed “Cop City” by activists. “Everybody kinda saw it […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
How Young Thug’s Community Feels About His Upcoming Trial
Jury selection is underway for the trial of Young Thug and some members of his Young Stoner Life Records label. It will likely take weeks to find a jury for the trial, which is expected to take anywhere from six to nine months. Each of the 14 co-defendants lawyers will have the opportunity to ask […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
How to Get a Misdemeanor Expunged in Georgia
A criminal record can quickly become a nuisance that causes you to lose out on housing and job opportunities. If you’ve ever been arrested, even if you weren’t convicted of a crime, there is a public record that can be accessed by landlords and employers who do background checks on applicants. Arrest and/or misdemeanor charge […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
The Trial of Young Thug and YSL Starts This Month. Here’s What to Know.
All eyes will be on rapper Young Thug as he heads to trial on Jan. 9. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is trying to prove that Young Thug is the head of a criminal enterprise. The case, which is expected to take months in court, alleges that Young Thug and his associates engaged in […]