Atlanta police on Monday released video of an officer’s encounter with a longtime civil rights activist.
Joe Beasley, 82, says the officer put a gun in his face last Wednesday in northwest Atlanta. Officers were executing a narcotics search warrant at a home on Jett Street when Beasley drove up, according to police, and he was asked to turn around.
In the video released by police, the officer appears to be at least 20 feet away from Beasley’s car when he pulls out his gun, which he holds for about a few seconds pointed in the direction of Beasley’s car.
The video was recorded on the officer’s body-worn camera.
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Several minutes later, the same officer speaks with Beasley, still inside his car but parked further down the street. Beasley tells the officer he’s trying to reach Chief Erika Shields to discuss the incident.
“The guy put a gun in my face,” Beasley says in the video.
A police spokesman later said the officer’pulling out his weapon was not consistent with Atlanta police department training.
Both the officer and Shields met with Beasley on Thursday morning. Beasley is a former regional director of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition founded by the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
“Given Dr. Beasley’s long-time status in Atlanta as an advocate for civil rights and social justice, Chief Shields and the officer involved in the incident personally met with Dr. Beasley for more than two hours on the morning following the incident,” police said in an emailed statement. “We believe a very meaningful and thoughtful discussion was held with Dr. Beasley, during which the officer offered a face-to-face apology.”
On Monday, several community activists gathered with Beasley to discuss the incident and call for the officer’s firing.
“What would happen to that person that may not have the notoriety that Dr. Beasley may have?” Dee Dawkins Haigler, former president of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, said. “They may have been killed on the street immediately and may not have the reinforcements that are behind him right now.”
APD’s Office of Professional Standards is investigating the incident.
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