Atlanta City Council member, security guard clash at Oakland Cemetery
ATLANTA - It began as an outing in Atlanta’s oldest public park. It ended up in a heated argument between an Atlanta City Council member and a security guard. The incident took place at Oakland Cemetery in southeast Atlanta. Council member Liliana Bakhtiari says she feared for her safety. The security guard says the council member assaulted him.
It happened just after 8:30 p.m. last Friday, Oct. 4. Park hours are from dawn until dusk. According to the police report, the park was dark at that time. Security guard Antony Montfort says in the report he went to tell some people in the park to leave. He says he began yelling, "Pack it up! It’s time to go!"
According to the report, Montfort says he didn’t have a flashlight and could not see the faces of the people he called out to. Montfort said a woman walked up to him and put her hand in his face. He told her to back up. She then pushed him down, Montfort said in the report. He also says the woman knocked off his hat and hit him across his forehead. He says the woman who assaulted him was Council member Liliana Bakhtiari.
The district 5 council member, however, says in the report she heard a scream from the dark. She thought she was in danger and wanted to protect her friends. According to the report, Bakhtiari said she did not know if he was holding a gun or a bat.
The report says Bakhtiari told police Montfort was close to her face, yelling. According to the report, Bakhtiari says she pushed him away from her.
Neither Bakhtiari nor Montfort agreed to an on-camera interview.
Bakhtiari issued a statement that said she was in the park for a friend’s wedding proposal. "My friends and I were approached by an aggressive and unidentified man in the dark. I became scared and felt in danger. I regret how the situation unfolded. I take accountability for my actions and I hope that protocols prioritizing de-escalation are enacted."
The Historic Oakland Foundation issued a terse statement. The foundation simply confirmed an incident occurred between Council member Bakhtiari and a security subcontractor for the city as the cemetery was closing.