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Two Former Atlanta Police Officers Sue Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms After Being Fired For Using Excessive Force On Local College Students

Roommates, it’s been a little over a week since six former Atlanta police officers were required to turn themselves in for their use of excessive force on two local college students—and now two of them are deciding to fight back. It’s being reported that two of the Atlanta police officers who were recently fired have officially filed a lawsuit against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

@CBS46 reports, former Atlanta police officers Ivory Streeter and Mark Gardner have filed a lawsuit against both Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Police Chief Erika Shields. The lawsuit was filed on June 8th and partially states the reasoning as stemming from “a defect of legal justice would ensue from a failure to perform or from improper performance of official duties.”

Elsewhere in the lawsuit, both former officers claim they “were involved in a use of force incident that arose within the scope and course of their duties” and that “petitioners have rights to procedural due process prior to and following and following any disciplinary action pursuant to the charter, ordinances, and policies of the City of Atlanta.”

Ivory Streeter was on the Atlanta police force for 16 years, while Mark Gardner was on for 22 years before they both were terminated for the alleged use of excessive force when using a stun gun on Messiah Young, 22, from Morehouse and Teniyah Pilgrim, 20, from Spelman—and forcibly pulling them from their vehicle. The two were in their car after the 8PM Atlanta curfew on May 30th that was captured by multiple local news outlets.

As we previously reported, both men were fired by Mayor Bottoms the following day on May 31st and she stated at the time that, “After review of that footage, Chief [Erika] Shields and I have made the determination that two of the officers involved in the incident last night will be terminated immediately.”

 

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Danielle Jennings