The family of Deacon Johnny Hollman, who tragically died following an encounter with the police involving the use of a Taser, will have a crucial conversation with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis today. The dialogue comes in the wake of a distressing incident on Aug. 10, 2023, which has since prompted sweeping changes in the Atlanta Police Department's ticketing procedures and sparked outcry for justice and accountability.
During the meeting, the family is expected to press for the arrests and prosecution of the former Atlanta Police Officer Kiran Kimbrough and tow truck driver Eric Robinson. The latter was also allegedly involved in the fatal incident, as 11Alive reported. The previous Atlanta Police Department procedure would have seen Hollman physically arrested for refusing to sign a traffic citation, but the updated policy now calls for officers to note a "refusal to sign" on such documents instead, as FOX5 Atlanta detailed.
Hollman, 62, died after the shock from a Taser led to Cardiac Dysrhythmia, according to an autopsy report. Initially, Hollman called the police himself after a car accident, but events escalated after he was deemed at fault, leading to an attempted arrest and the subsequent use of a Taser when he became non-compliant. The encounter was described as "several minutes of struggling," after which Hollman became unresponsive and was later pronounced dead at Grady Hospital, as 11Alive detailed.
The fallout from Hollman's death has already seen the Atlanta City Council approve a settlement of $3.8 million for his estate. Despite this, no criminal charges have been filed, sparking the family's continued advocacy, led in part by Hollman's eldest daughter, Arnitra. "We will not rest until the people responsible for our father's death are criminally prosecuted. We will continue to ask a simple question: 'What about the Deacon?'" Arnitra stated in an emotional plea for action. Her involvement has been both deep and relentless, having gravely recounted the last distressing phone call with her father, during which she heard him beg for help and repeatedly state "I can't breathe," as relayed by the family’s attorney, Harold Spence.
