A Marietta City Councilman who was dragged out of his truck by three cops during a traffic accident investigation is calling on the department to address “negative police behavior” and the use of excessive force against minorities.
Reggie Copeland made those demands Wednesday during a press conference held with members of the Cobb County branch of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and other community organizations.
Copeland, who is in his first term on the City Council and chairs its Public Safety Committee, spoke for the first time since he entered a negotiated "Alford plea" Jan. 20 to disorderly conduct stemming from the May 24 traffic accident and interaction that led police to charge him with obstruction. The Alford plea allows a defendant to say he or she is innocent, but admits that the prosecution has enough evidence to obtain a conviction.
Copeland wants Marietta police to hold a community meeting to address “negative police behavior that results from escalation, excessive use of force and lack of cultural competency” among officers. He also wants the department to review its training procedures to determine how it can improve policing within the entire community.
When asked what the department will do to address concerns raised by Copeland, Marietta police spokesman Chuck McPhilamy said “it is our job to protect and serve everyone within our community equally.”
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Flanked by about two dozen supporters, Copeland displayed photos of injuries he said he suffered when the officers pulled him out of his truck and handcuffed him. The photos show abrasions on Copeland’s wrists from the handcuffs and his ankle wrapped in a cast.
Copeland was charged in May with three counts of misdemeanor obstruction after Marietta police say he refused to provide a driver’s license or get out of his truck when police asked him to.
Copeland said one of the officers, Ryan Lukaszewicz, was “aggressive and demanding” while asking to see his driver’s license.
WATCH: Body camera video of Marietta Councilman Reggie Copeland’s traffic accident investigation
“I felt threatened by his hostile behavior,” he said, adding he became “more fearful as a black African-American male for my life” when the officer grabbed his door.
The councilman said he called 911 dispatchers three times during the encounter he was in fear for his life. He also said he called deputy police chief Marty Ferrell in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reviewed body camera footage obtained through an Open Records request that showed Ryan Lukaszewicz asking Copeland to provide his driver’s license several times. In the video, Copeland hesitates and calls 9-1-1 dispatchers to report the accident.
Lukaszewicz spends several minutes asking Copeland to provide his license, but the councilman ignores the officer’s requests and calls deputy chief Ferrell.
When two additional officers arrive and Lukaszewicz repeats his request for him to come out of the truck, Copeland hesitates, and the officers reach in to grab him.
Copeland said his case isn't the first time Marietta officers have used "excessive forced towards citizens of color." Activists accused Marietta police of excessive force in 2019 when an officer punched Renardo Lewis several times while they were trying to place him in handcuffs.
“Next time, it may be you,” Copeland said. “It may be your son. And it may be your daughter.”
Marietta police spokesman McPhilamy did not directly address Copeland’s charges of unfair treatment.
“We are grateful Marietta city leaders invested in body and dash camera video systems a few years ago in order to ensure transparency in all police interactions with the public,” McPhilamy said.
“We have nothing to add that the public cannot view for themselves on the video,” he said. “We are proud of the transparency body cameras have provided.”
Dr. Ben Williams, president of the Cobb SCLC, said Copeland’s request for a community conversation shows a willingness on his part to meet and work with the department. He also said that request stems from the need to have a national dialogue surrounding police interactions with people of color, particularly black men, that often end violently.
“This is not something that happened that’s unique or peculiar to Marietta or Cobb County,” he said.
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