Death of Deacon Johnny Hollman: Family files suit against tow truck driver
ATLANTA - The family of family of Deacon Johnny Hollman, who died during a confrontation with police, has filed suit against a tow truck driver seen on Atlanta police body camera video assisting the officer.
The video which was released last month shows 23-year-old former officer, Kiran Kimbrough interacting with Hollman following a crash on Aug. 10. Kimbrough is accused of deploying a Taser on the 62-year-old deacon and throwing him to the ground before placing him in handcuffs.
Eric Robinson, who is the tow truck driver shown in the now viral videoappeared to restrain the 62-year-old while the officer placed handcuffs on him.
It happened near the intersection of Cunningham Drive and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard as Hollman was headed to church that evening.
Call for arrest in death of Deacon Johnny Hollman
Dozens of community activist joined with the family of Deacon Johnny Hollman calling for the arrest and charges of an Atlanta police officer and a tow truck driver. FOX 5 was the first report about the call for the tow truck driver to face punishment after video shows the driver appearing to restrain the 62-year-old man after the officer used a Taser on the man and placed handcuffs on him. Hollman was pronounced dead at a hospital.
The family says you could hear their father saying he could not breathe.
ACTIVISTS, RAPPER CALL FOR CHARGES AGAINST OFFICER, TOW TRUCK DRIVER
The officer has been fired. The police chief says he was terminated because he did not wait for a supervisor on the scene.
The tow truck driver works for S&W Towing, which has a contract with the city. Organizers are calling for that relationship to be terminated.
Body camera footage shows a tow truck driver appearing to help the Atlanta police officer restrain Deacon Johnny Hollman so he could be handcuffed. (Credit: Atlanta Police Department)
On Monday, the family filed a civil suit in DeKalb County. The suit alleges that Robinson "straddled the citizen’s head and neck, appearing to sit with his full body weight on the citizen’s head and neck." It goes on to state that lasted for at least 20 seconds.
While that was happening, the suit states Robinson said in the video "I ain’t did this s*** in so long, I forgot what it [was] like."
BODYCAM FOOTAGE RELEASED OF TASING DEATH OF ATLANTA DEACON
In response to what was going on, Hollman could be heard saying "I can’t breathe" no less than 13 times, the suit claims.
Hollman died just before 1 a.m. the next morning.
The autopsy performed by the medical examiner’s office states the deacon received cuts to his tongue; abrasions to the head; bruising to the back, torso, left hip, right and left shoulders, both elbows, right forearms, wounds to the right hand, and cuts to the knees.
DEACON JOHNNY HOLLMAN'S FAMILY WANTS TOW TRUCK DRIVER CHARGED WITH MURDER
Johnny Hollman (Supplied)
After Hollman was cuffed, the suit claims Robinson made several statements including "Ain’t had to tussle with a motha f---er in eight years" and reportedly boasted "That s--- still in me."
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
Robinson has not yet responded to Monday’s filing.