Two years after their disturbing interaction with the Atlanta Police Department (APD), Messiah Young and Taniyah Pilgrim received some disheartening news.
Cherokee County DA Samir Patel, the Atlanta Judicial Circuit’s temporary District Attorney, has chosen not to bring charges against a group of officers accused of using excessive force against the pair.
As Blavity previously reported, the incident unfolded on May 30, 2020.
While Young and Pilgrim were driving near a downtown Atlanta protest over the killing of George Floyd, a group of officers — Ivory Streeter, Lonnie Hood, Mark Gardner, Roland Claud, Willie Sauls and Armond Jones — approached the vehicle. Bodycam footage shows them shouting orders at the students, busting out a window and deploying tasers before pulling them out of the car.
As a result of the violent interaction, Young sustained a fractured arm and received about 20 stitches. Additionally, two of the officers (Streeter and Gardner) were fired for their role in the matter, though they were reinstated about 8 months later.
Messiah Young & Taniyah Howard were headed home when they were ripped out of their car by Atlanta police & tased multiple times. They were taken from the hospital to jail. The 6 police officers involved in the attack, were charged for assaulting the black college students. #BLM pic.twitter.com/SpQqRHFjsu
— MEFeater Magazine (@mefeater) June 2, 2020
Despite Streeter and Gardner maintaining positions within the APD, the question regarding whether or not they violated the law was still on the table. However, Patel has now revealed that they have been cleared of legal wrongdoing.
“These officers had no intent to violate any criminal statute,” he said. “These officers were ordered to detain individuals in violation of the curfew.”
Patel went on to note that the “officers’ actions were taken in response to Mr. Young’s and Ms. Pilgrim’s active resistance.”
“It became abundantly clear based upon the case law that these officers acted within their lawful scope and their actions were not criminal,” he shared.
“It’s not over” – that’s the message from the attorney of Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young, two students tased by Atlanta police officers in 2020. We learned Monday the officers will not face charges. I have details at 4:15 and 5:15 on @cbs46 pic.twitter.com/5LpnllYkSt
— Savannah Louie (@savannahlouieTV) May 24, 2022
Young and Pilgrim’s attorney released a statement in response to this decision.
“Messiah Young, Taniyah Pilgrim and their families are incredibly disappointed and disheartened by the decision announced today by the Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney that charges against the Atlanta Police Dept. officers have been dismissed,” the lawyer noted. “The fact that these students and their families had to wait in anguish and put their lives on hold for two years while this case was kicked around the legal system is equally outrageous.”
“This decision only further erodes community confidence in the justice system,” they added.
