A 68-year-old Tucker man said he was shackled to a hospital bed and guarded by an officer after he was arrested during Black Lives Matter protests Monday in Buckhead.

Kevin Moran said his shoulder was dislocated while being handcuffed by Atlanta police. He was detained for a misdemeanor: obstructing traffic.

“It seemed unnecessarily brutal,” Moran said. He added that he told the officer that he had a pre-existing condition with his shoulder and requested his hands be cuffed in front, not pulled behind his back.

After he was handcuffed him from behind anyway, Moran alleges the officer told him, “See, you can put your arms behind your back.”

“This matter has been referred to the Atlanta Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards, which will investigate further into these allegations,” APD spokeswoman Kim Jones said.

Moran was eventually transported to Grady and was to be released to jail before attorney Mawuli Davis interceded.

“This is a ticketing type offense,” said Davis, who called the arrest “hyper-vigilant and over-aggressive.”

“This is not an isolated incident,” he said.

Moran is now home and said his shoulder will likely require additional surgery.

A more complete story will be posted later this afternoon on myajc.com.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Lead Nurse Practitioner Lori Reed examines a Covid patient at Piedmont Pulmonary Covid Recovery Clinic in Atlanta in 2022. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mostly attributed the nationwide rise in life expectancy to fewer deaths caused by the infectious disease. (Steve Schaefer/AJC file)

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Featured

Managing Partner at Atlantica Properties, Darion Dunn (center) talks with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens during a tour following the ribbon cutting of Waterworks Village as part of the third phase of the city’s Rapid Housing Initiative on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez