Atlanta Police have announced the first arrest made in connection with the fatal 404 day shooting of 16-year-old Tianah Robinson in Piedmont Park four months ago. The accused, 17-year-old Kaine Burnette, surrendered himself to Fulton County Jail on July 30. The following day, the county solicitor’s office charged him with three misdemeanors: reckless conduct, discharging […]
Criminal Justice
Posted inCriminal Justice
Tyler Perry Offers Funeral Support to Nolan Wells’ Family Amid Investigation
Inspired by a loss in his own family, Tyler Perry said he will cover funeral costs for the family of Nolan Xavier Wells, the 18-year-old student athlete found dead off the Mississippi Gulf Coast after a boat trip with a group of white friends. According to authorities, Wells was last seen July 4, around 3 […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
DeKalb Police Officer Charged With Shooting Unarmed Teen in the Back
A DeKalb County police officer was arrested Thursday in connection with the fatal shooting of a Savannah teen. Derrick Harris Jr., 37, was charged with reckless conduct and felony involuntary manslaughter for killing Seth Jayden Eccles, 19, during an arrest on the evening of July 7. Harris was released Thursday morning after less than an […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
No Murder Charges for Off-Duty APD Officer Melvin Potter Despite Troubled History
Nearly two years after the shooting death of 38-year-old Devon Anderson, no criminal charges will be filed by the Fulton County district attorney’s office against Melvin Potter, the off-duty Atlanta police officer who killed the budding musician. Anderson’s mother, Valerie Lans-Anderson, learned of the decision last month. On June 22, she asked the Atlanta City […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Legal Challenges Continue for Black Horseman in South Fulton
When Brandon Fulton bought the 27-acre property he plans to turn into a community ranch just outside Atlanta, he had no idea he’d end up spending as much time in a courtroom as he would developing his land. In the 10 years he has owned the property, Fulton has been in court dozens of times […]
Posted inCity Politics, Criminal Justice, Incarceration
She Avoided Jail and Rebuilt Her Life, but Others May Not Get the Same Chance
Tanesha Door said she doesn’t know where she would be today without the Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative and its case managers helping her to get her life back on track. Door, an Atlanta-native and Grady Hospital baby, moved back to Atlanta in 2018 with her infant son less than a year after leaving the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Mental Health, Policing, Politics & Policy, Public Safety
After Beltline Killing, Atlanta’s Diversion Center Faces Scrutiny
Less than two weeks before Jahmare Brown was arrested in the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Alyssa Paige on the Beltline Trail, he had been accused of waving a knife and threatening to kill a man in downtown Atlanta. According to records uncovered by WSB-TV, Brown, 21, was not arrested in connection with the alleged threats […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety, Transportation
After MARTA Stabbings, Trump Administration Opens Safety Probe
Atlanta’s public transportation authority is under investigation by the Trump administration a week after two separate stabbings within days of each other made headlines. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Thursday that he directed the Federal Transit Administration to launch an investigation into MARTA. Duffy cited the two “horrific crimes” that he said should disturb […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety, Sports
Ahead of World Cup, Fulton County Will Stop Jailing People Accused of Low-Level Crimes
With just over two weeks until Atlanta hosts its first FIFA World Cup match, Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat has announced a new policy that could drastically decrease the number of people incarcerated at the city jail. On Tuesday, Labat issued an official order that people arrested for most misdemeanor offenses can no longer be […]
Posted inCity Politics, Policing, Politics & Policy
Atlanta Police Budget Set to Hit Record High Under New Plan
With a proposed $16.5 million budget increase, the Atlanta Police Department is on track to receive its largest general fund budget. State and local spending on police has been on the rise for decades across the country, and Atlanta is no different. Under the plan, the department would receive $324.4 million, up 5.37% from the […]
