Johnny Hollman’s family is still trying to make sense of how a minor car crash quickly took a turn for the worse.
With the 62-year-old church deacon dead and an Atlanta police officer under investigation by the GBI, the incident report and witness footage released Friday detailing the aftermath of the incident and several 911 calls are leaving as many questions as answers.
“How do you die on a minor traffic incident that he called the police on? He called them to help him and now he ends up dead,” Hollman’s daughter, Arnitra Fallins, said during a news conference Friday afternoon.
The father of five became unresponsive as Atlanta police Officer Kiran Kimbrough tried to take him into custody Aug. 10, authorities said. Hollman later died at Grady Memorial Hospital.
According to an incident report, 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.
A 911 call released by the police department confirms that Hollman called for help after the crash. “Somebody ran into my truck right here,” he could be heard telling a dispatcher. The other driver involved also called 911, stating that, “It’s just ridiculous how he hit the car, honestly. Like he’s not even in his lane at all.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Kimbrough determined that Hollman was at fault, and officials said he became agitated when they tried to issue him a citation. The GBI described him as “non-compliant” and said a physical struggle ensued as the officer tried to take Hollman into custody.
Kimbrough then used a Taser on him, and a witness at the scene helped to put him in handcuffs. At that point, Kimbrough noticed Hollman was unresponsive, the GBI said.
The family’s attorney, Mawuli Davis, said Friday that his law firm has viewed footage filmed by witnesses, but it has not been publicly released. He said he will be making a formal request for body camera footage from the Atlanta Police Department on Monday and continues asking for a statement as to why police felt the need to take Hollman into custody.
“What most cities are doing now is that they will bring the family in to allow them to view the bodycam footage, so we’re making that request and that should happen,” he explained at the news conference, which was organized by protesters of the Atlanta police training facility. “What we have viewed is some of the aftermath and, to be quite frank with you, it’s shocking, it’s sobering.”
The GBI has opened an investigation into Kimbrough’s use of force. The officer, who had no law enforcement experience prior to joining Atlanta police, was hired by the department in March 2021. According to Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council records, he has no disciplinary history.
Hollman’s truck, which was impounded after the incident, contained nine bags of marijuana, about 28 grams of an unknown substance, 20 clear bags, a scale, a gun and other personal items, according to the police report. The document does not state if a DUI test was performed at the scene or if Hollman appeared to be under the influence.
Davis said the gun found in the vehicle did not belong to Hollman, but instead to one of his grandsons. The attorney added that Hollman shared the vehicle with multiple people in his family, and the drugs seized were not his and have “nothing to do with the officer tasing him, ultimately leading to his death.”
“Our hope is that he can, like other folks, be a victim and not have to be character assassinated,” Davis said. “We need to reach a point in America where Black people can just be victims.”
Credit: Michael Blackshire
Credit: Michael Blackshire
For Fallins, the image of her father lying on the asphalt, surrounded by medical personnel before being taken to the hospital, will haunt her forever. She previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she was on the phone with Hollman during the police encounter. She described hearing him yelling that he could not breathe as she rushed to the scene to help him.
“I knew my daddy was gone. My first initial words were, ‘Y’all killed my daddy. Y’all took my daddy from me,’” she said, describing her reaction upon arriving at the scene.
His reach extended beyond his family and into the church. For 15 years, Hollman served as chairman of deacons at the Lively Stones of God Ministries. Pastor Royce Tillman said he had known many deacons during his lifetime, but few ever stood out like Hollman.
”What I love about him was that just like he loved his family, he loved his church family. I mean he loved every member,” Tillman said.
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