Family of Atlanta deacon who died after former officer fired Taser reacts to denied job appeal
The attorney for the former Atlanta police officer who fired his Taser on a church deacon before the man's death is vowing to keep fighting for his job.
The city service board ruled the former officer, Kiran Kimbrough, should not get his job back.
Kimbrough's attorney Lance LoRusso sent an email to Channel 2′s Michael Seiden that shows that he and his client will be filing another appeal.
The appeal will head to the Fulton County Superior Court, which acts as an appellate court, and they will review the decision.
Seiden spoke with the family of 62-year-old Johnny Hollman on Tuesday. Hollman died in 2023 after Kimbrough used a Taser on him.
Hollman's family members feel relieved that the City of Atlanta service board ruled that Kimbrough should not get his job back after they determined that he violated department policy.
'He should not be patrolling the streets, not putting other citizens in harm's way,' family attorney Mawuli Davis said.
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'It's been our position from the outset that complete justice in this case involves not merely a civil case, but a criminal prosecution of this officer,' family attorney Harold Spence said.
As of Tuesday, no criminal charges have been filed, but an autopsy found that Hollman died as a result of Kimbrough's force.
Atlanta police released body camera footage that captured Hollman refusing to sign a ticket and requesting to speak with a supervisor.
In the video, Kimbrough wrestles Hollman to the ground and uses a Taser on him.
'We have to continue to move forward, continue to fight because, you know, we are his legacy,' Hollman's daughter Arnitra Hollman said.
Kimbrough's attorney said his client did not violate any department policies and now they are preparing to file another appeal.
In January 2024, Hollman's family filed a federal lawsuit over his death, and about five months later, the Atlanta City Council approved a $3.8 million settlement with the family.
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