ATLANTA — On Wednesday, the Atlanta Police Department released bodycam video from the August tasing death of Johnny Hollman, an Atlanta church deacon who had been involved in a traffic accident.
11Alive is publishing the full bodycam video - which runs nearly an hour long - within this story. Blurring has been applied to frames that might contain identifying information, and 11Alive has blurred all frames that show Hollman after the tasing occurred.
Early in the video, there are some moments of blurring, as well as audio cuts, that were contained within the original copy obtained by 11Alive. A few instances of brief audio cuts, to remove harsh language, was applied by 11Alive.
A version released by the Atlanta Police Department, which contains further edits and inclusions, can be viewed at this link.
Below, you can review the full video that 11Alive is publishing:
What does the video show?
The video comes from the bodycam worn by now-former Officer Kiran Kimbrough on the night he tased Hollman, whose death resulted from an abnormal heart rhythm due to being tased.
Hollman's tasing death followed Kimbrough's response to a traffic accident. The video shows he determined Hollman was at fault, which the church deacon objected to, and he initiated an arrest - leading to the tasing - when Hollman wouldn't sign the traffic ticket.
The video includes the full incident: from Hollman's full interaction with the officer (both before and after the ticket is issued), to the struggle and tasing, the response from other officers once they get on the scene, to Grady EMS being called.
The video shows Kimbrough issuing the citation, Hollman's objection and, after ordering him several times to sign the ticket, initiating an arrest as the deacon begins to say he'll sign it. The two briefly appear to struggle before Kimbrough takes Hollman to ground, ordering him to put his hands behind his back as he presses his head and body into the ground. Hollman says "I can't breathe" a number of times.
After Kimbrough tases Hollman, the deacon becomes unresponsive. The officer is told to apply a chest rub after Hollman passes out, which he does. Other officers arrive, and it is not clear in the video what other life-saving measures might have been applied. Medics arrive about 12 minutes after the tasing and apply chest compressions.
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.
More on the Johnny Hollman case
Kimbrough was terminated over the incident for failing to "have a supervisor on the scene prior to proceeding with the physical arrest after Mr. Hollman refused to sign the citation." APD said he violated standard operating procedure. He has not been charged.
In a release from Mayor Andre Dickens' office, the mayor said:
"The video will be difficult to watch for many people, especially the family of Mr. Hollman. I continue to extend my deepest sympathy to them and hold them close in my thoughts and prayers. We also extend our gratitude to those in the community who have embraced and supported the family during these difficult months.
"As Mayor, I know it is critically important for the City of Atlanta to continually assess, evaluate and adjust how our public safety departments carry out their sworn mission to serve and protect our citizens. When there is a tragic circumstance, we afford due process for the officers involved while also letting the evidence drive the decision. In this case, the evidence was clear regarding a violation of the department’s SOPs," Dickens said. "We appreciate the APD Office of Professional Standards for their administrative review as well as the ongoing investigation into this case by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Again, we express our deepest condolences to the Hollman family."
On the night of the incident, 62-year-old Hollman - a deacon at The Lively Stones of God Ministries Church of Atlanta - was driving along Cunningham Place in southwest Atlanta when the accident occurred and police responded, ultimately leading to the encounter between Kimbrough and Hollman and the tasing.
The autopsy report released by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office classified Hollman’s death as a medical homicide. The document also noted he died as the result of an abnormal heart rhythm due to being tased.
The document states other preexisting conditions, like heart disease and diabetes, were contributing factors to Hollman's death. His family argues he was living with his illnesses and would be alive today if it weren't for the encounter with the officer.