Mayor Andre Dickens on Tuesday announced a review of the Atlanta Police Department’s standards and training in response to the death of Johnny Hollman, a church deacon who became unresponsive during a recent arrest.
“Every single life in Atlanta is important and matters to me. Every single death in this city weighs on my heart,” Dickens said while announcing a “top-to-bottom evaluation” of the interaction. “What started as a routine stop after an accident ended in the death of 62-year-old Johnny Hollman.”
Hollman, a father of five who for 15 years served as chairman of deacons at a southwest Atlanta church, was involved in a minor car crash Aug. 10 while on his way home. He died after an encounter with Officer Kiran Kimbrough, who has since been placed on administrative leave during an investigation, in keeping with department policy.
Dickens said Tuesday that Kimbrough will receive “due process” and said he plans to share the results of the city’s review of APD’s operating procedures. Hours after the mayor’s announcement, Hollman’s family released a video showing portions of the fatal encounter, raising further questions.
“I want them to see how unjustly my father was treated over a car accident, and it hurt me so bad that I have to deal with this for the rest of my life,” Johnny Hollman Jr. said through his attorney. “... The police were wrong, and the world do need to see that.”
According to a police report, on the night he died, Hollman was driving his Chevrolet pickup truck north on Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard and went to make a left turn onto Cunningham Place. The other driver involved was turning right onto Joseph E. Lowery at the same time. Hollman is accused of making the turn too sharp and striking the front of the other vehicle, the report states.
Kimbrough determined that Hollman was at fault, and officials said he became agitated when the officer tried to issue him a citation. The GBI described him as “non-compliant” and said a physical struggle ensued as he was being taken into custody. Kimbrough then used a Taser on him, and Hollman was handcuffed with the help of a witness. At that point, Kimbrough noticed Hollman was unresponsive, the GBI said.
Credit: Michael Blackshire
Credit: Michael Blackshire
Hollman’s son arrived on the scene and started recording on his cellphone, he told the family’s attorney, Mawuli Davis, in an edited video uploaded to YouTube. He and his sister previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that they were on the phone with their father during the police encounter and could hear him yelling for help as they drove to the scene.
The video appears to show Hollman lying on the street while medical personnel attempt CPR. Multiple officers and patrol vehicles also crowded the area.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“I can’t believe this, man. Y’all got my daddy on this ground like this,” Johnny Hollman Jr. could be heard saying in the cellphone footage. Body camera footage has not been released.
The GBI has opened an investigation into Kimbrough’s use of force. The officer was hired by the department in March 2021. According to Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council records, he has no disciplinary history.
A march asking for justice for Hollman is planned for 5 p.m. Thursday in front of Atlanta Police Headquarters along Peachtree Street.
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