ATLANTA — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into an officer-involved use of force incident after a man died in Atlanta police custody Thursday night.
Atlanta police were called to the intersection of Cunningham Place and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard around 11:20 p.m. to investigate a traffic accident.
Atlanta police determined that the at-fault driver was 62-year-old Johnny Hollman and attempted to issue a traffic ticket.
Police said Hollman became “agitated and uncooperative.”
“The officer attempted to take the driver into custody, but he resisted and a struggle ensued,” police said. “After several minutes of struggling with the male, the officer utilized his taser and, with the help of a witness, placed the driver into handcuffs.”
After the officer took Hollman into custody, police realized that he was unresponsive. Police then called an ambulance and Hollman was taken to the hospital, where he died.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy. The GBI is conducting an independent investigation, which is active and ongoing.
The Atlanta Police Department has opened an internal investigation and placed the officer on administrative leave.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI regional investigative office in Conyers at (706) 388-5019. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.