Police deadly force cases on the rise
Four times since that March, metro Atlanta law enforcement agencies have used deadly force against civilians — that is, enough force to likely cause serious injury or death.
Last year, metro Atlanta police agencies used deadly force on 56 occasions, the highest total in the past seven years, according to an analysis by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. There’s also been a rise statewide.
GBI Director Vernon Keenan — whose agency investigates the majority of such incidents in Georgia — acknowledged the increase, attributing it to a rise in violence against law enforcement officers.
“Talking to counterparts in other states, all of us are seeing an increase (in use of deadly force),” Keenan said.
To read more about the reasons for the increase, visit myajc.com
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
