ATLANTA — The Atlanta Police Department officer has fired the officer who tased an Atlanta church deacon, who then died, during an August arrest, the department announced Tuesday.
Johnny Hollman, a 62-year-old deacon at The Lively Stones of God Ministries Church of Atlanta, died in the incident on Aug. 10 as officers responded to investigate a traffic accident. An autopsy report concluded Hollman died of cardiac dysrhythmia resulting from the tasing.
On that night, Hollman was driving along Cunningham Place in southwest Atlanta when he got into an accident and called the police.
During the encounter with police, an officer determined Hollman was at fault for the crash and attempted to issue him a traffic citation, which Hollman would not sign. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations previously said the 62-year-old became "non-compliant" when the officer attempted to take him into custody. A Taser was then deployed as Hollman continued to resist arrest, the GBI said.
Atlanta Police previously described the encounter as "several minutes of struggling" between the deacon and the arresting officer. Hollman became unresponsive shortly after and EMS was called to respond.
Hollman was taken to Grady Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Aug. 11 shortly before 1 a.m., the medical examiner's report stated.
In a statement Tuesday, APD said the officer, Kiran Kimbrough, was terminated for "failing to follow the department’s standard operating procedures" during the arrest. The APD statement did not specify if the officer now fired was the one who initiated the tasing.
The department further stated the officer "violated standard operating procedure when he failed to have a supervisor on the scene prior to proceeding with the physical arrest after Mr. Hollman failed to sign the citation."
“Every single person and life in the City of Atlanta matters to me,” Schierbaum said in the statement. “Part of my job is to assess, evaluate, and adjust how this police department is carrying out its sworn mission to serve and protect the citizens of this city. I understand the difficult and dangerous job that our officers do each and every day throughout the city. I do not arrive at these decisions lightly. Only after a diligent review of all of the facts, while ensuring the due process of our officers, do I arrive at my decision."
Reaction from the family
During a press conference on Tuesday, Hollman's daughter, Anitra, along with the family's council spoke on the news of Kimbrough's firing.
Anitra Hollman previously said she was on the phone with her father when the struggle ensued. She recalled that the last words she heard her father say were, "I can't breathe."
"The next time I heard my daddy voice, he was in distress. I heard my daddy beg for help," Anitra previously said.
In Thursday's press conference, she attempted to push back against the narrative of her father described by Atlanta Police, instead describing him as a loving family man and member of the community.
"He wasn't just a father to us... he was a father to the community, he was a grandfather to the community," she stated.
Anitra and the family's legal counsel also continued to press for the release of the body camera footage from the incident and expressed their frustration over the reason APD gave for Kimbrough's firing, arguing it failed to interrogate the prime issue with the arrest.
"We don't want him to work at another police department," Anitra exclaimed. "Yes, we want him prosecuted. Yes, we want him in jail."
Body camera video of the incident has been reviewed by Hollman's family but it has not been released, with APD citing pending investigations both internally and through the GBI.
"The investigative bodies have directed the City not to release until the investigation is closed, as well as a pending administrative investigation," a previous statement said.
Hollman's family met Monday with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to discuss the case.
“What justice looks like is the prosecution of this officer for crimes he committed against Deacon Hollman,” said attorney Mawuli Davis, who represents Hollman's family.
“What we saw was murder, we saw an assault against a 62-year-old man who was literally pleading for his life, informing the officer that he could not breathe, informing him of his medical condition and that he was having issues with asthma. And, the officer with malicious intent continued to strike and tase,” Davis added.
Statement from the lawyer of Officer Kimbrough
Lawyers representing the former officer released a statement with an intent to appeal the termination. Read the full statement below.
Officer K. Kimbrough vehemently denies any wrongdoing or policy violations in connection with the investigation, detention, and arrest of Mr. Johnny Hollman. He will appeal his termination reportedly predicated upon his failure to call for a supervisor when Mr. Hollman refused to sign a lawfully issued citation as he was legally obligated to do. Our client is a decorated law enforcement officer and looks forward to the release of the entire investigation. The loss of any life is tragic. However, Officer Kimbrough’s actions in detaining Mr. Hollman and making a lawful arrest did not cause Mr. Hollman’s death.