Journalist says Atlanta cops detained her son during Craigslist sale

The editor of the online news site The Daily Beast said her adult son was targeted by Atlanta police officers as he attempted to sell a laptop computer he advertised on Craigslist. But officers were only acting on a tip that the laptop may have been stolen, an APD spokeswoman said Monday.

Credit: Goldie Taylor via Twitter

Credit: Goldie Taylor via Twitter

The editor of the online news site The Daily Beast said her adult son was targeted by Atlanta police officers as he attempted to sell a laptop computer he advertised on Craigslist. But officers were only acting on a tip that the laptop may have been stolen, an APD spokeswoman said Monday.

An editor for an online news site said her adult son was targeted by Atlanta police officers as he attempted to sell a laptop computer he advertised on Craigslist. But officers were only acting on a tip that the laptop may have been stolen, an Atlanta Police Department spokeswoman said Monday.

In an emailed statement released Monday to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Goldie Taylor, editor-at-large for “The Daily Beast,” said her 25-year-old son, Josh, was attempting to sell his MacBook when he was approached by undercover officers, who put a Taser to his back, handcuffed him and searched his hard drive.

The potential Craigslist buyer was actually someone whose laptop was stolen in April, according to Elizabeth Espy with Atlanta police. The buyer believed Josh Taylor may have been attempting to re-sell a stolen computer and alerted police, Espy said.

Read more on the foiled Craigslist transaction on myajc.com.