Council committee backs review board with subpoenas of records in fatal police shootings

A committee of Atlanta city council members voted Monday to subpoena its police department for records in two fatal police shootings, giving the Citizen Review Board a major victory.

Some of the records involve the infamous 2006 killing of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston.

The Atlanta Committee on Council also issued a subpoena for records — to be handed over to the review board — on the December police shooting of robbery suspect Pierre George, 31, who was not armed.

About two dozen residents who hoped the committee would subpoena the records embraced after the vote. They said it was a major step in the frequent battle between the police department and the review board over access to records, particularly in ongoing cases.

“It’s huge,” said Cristina Beamud, the board’s executive director. “It’s a notable step in the right direction. I’m happy. It will make it easier to conduct investigations.”

Police officials and aides to Mayor Shirley Franklin argued releasing records in ongoing cases could hurt the investigations because some of the information could become public. Councilwoman Natalyn Mosby Archibong added a stipulation to the subpoena that requires, if necessary, the board to review some details of the George case in private.

A police spokeswoman declined to comment on the vote.

The review board expects to get the records around July 6, Beamud said.

The council created the board in March 2007 after the November 2006 shooting of Johnston in a botched police raid.

Beamud said the board has sought an FBI report of some aspects of the Johnston shooting. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked earlier this year for the report under the Georgia Open Records Act, but police officials denied the request.

In February, three former Atlanta police officers were sentenced to between five and 10 years in federal prison for the illegal raid that resulted in Johnston’s death.

An illegal, no-knock search warrant allowed officers to batter down Johnston’s door.

A terrified Johnston, thinking she was victimized by a home invasion, fired a warning shot through the door. Narcotics officers responded with a hail of gunfire, killing her.

Staff writer Tim Eberly contributed to this article.