The family of a 69-year-old man who was tased and died after refusing to sign a traffic ticket is planning to file a federal lawsuit against the city of Atlanta. Also named in the suit is the police officer who deployed the Taser.
This is the second lawsuit Johnny Hollman’s family has filed. The first lawsuit was filed in DeKalb County State Court against a tow truck driver who was involved in the incident and the towing company he worked for.
The family of Johnny Hollman was shattered after viewing a video of the patriarch’s death at the hands of an overzealous Atlanta police officer. Hollman a church deacon at Lively Stones of God Ministries on MLK Jr. Dr. was driving home after Bible study when he was involved in a minor accident. After Atlanta police officers arrived on the scene they determined that Hollman was at fault and proceeded to arrest him when he allegedly refused to sign a traffic ticket issued.
APD says that the 62-year-old was tased when he resisted arrest, although eyewitness accounts indicate Hollman was attempting to sign the ticket while handcuffed. The elderly deacon collapsed and subsequently died.
The family has hired civil rights attorney Mawuli Davis a founding partner of the Davis Bozeman Johnson Law in Atlanta.
“All he did was disagree with the officer on the accident. As he reaches out to sign the ticket, the officer grabs him by the arm and he begins to put him into custody. He took him to the ground, and you can hear Mr. Hollomon begging for him to stop. He says, ‘I can’t breathe, please help me,’” attorney Davis said.
The family wants the officer involved to be arrested and the video of this encounter to be released to the public. “There are so many prosecuted for much less. He must be arrested. This arrest was the result of a hyper-aggressive Atlanta Police culture that says, ‘I got the power, and I will not respect you,’” Davis exclaimed.
“This was the most senseless arrest…
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