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Eagle gay bar raid still haunts Atlanta Police Department

091021 Atlanta--Protesters stand, some in their underwear, at the intersection of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue in Atlanta, Ga Wednesday, Oct 21, 2009 to make a statement about the recent raids at the Eagle club. "Out of 62 people that were in the bar harassed,we probably have 15 people who have come forward, because they are scared," Robert Kelley, an owner of the Eagle who was also in his underwear, said. "They don't need to be afraid. We didn't do anything wrong, the police did." Elissa Eubanks, eeubanks@ajc.com
091021 Atlanta--Protesters stand, some in their underwear, at the intersection of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue in Atlanta, Ga Wednesday, Oct 21, 2009 to make a statement about the recent raids at the Eagle club. "Out of 62 people that were in the bar harassed,we probably have 15 people who have come forward, because they are scared," Robert Kelley, an owner of the Eagle who was also in his underwear, said. "They don't need to be afraid. We didn't do anything wrong, the police did." Elissa Eubanks, eeubanks@ajc.com
By Bill Torpy
Aug 10, 2017

The Atlanta Police Department's ill-conceived raid on the Eagle gay bar in 2009 should have receded in the rear-view mirror by now.

But it hasn't. Taxpayers got dinged for a $1.5 million settlement, and the police department was also on the hook for creating training on the proper application of search and seizure.

The city, under court order, produced a video that is basically a one-hour festival of stultification.

Now APD is up against a deadline for having all its officers view the video and pass the quiz at the end of it. Those poor cops.

About the Author

Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.

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