Atlanta police officer fired after deadly use of stun gun on 62-year-old deacon

A 62-year deacon died after he was shocked with a stun gun during an August roadside dispute with an Atlanta police officer, who has since been fired over the incident.

Police Chief Darin Schierbaum announced the termination of Officer Kiran Kimbrough on Tuesday, citing a violation of department policies during his response to a car crash on Aug. 10. He said Kimbrough should have waited for a supervisor to arrive on the scene to arrest Johnny Hollman Sr., who died shortly after his interaction with law enforcement.

“Part of my job is to assess, evaluate, and adjust how this police department is carrying out its sworn mission to serve and protect the citizens of this city,” Schierbaum said in a statement. “I understand the difficult and dangerous job that our officers do each and every day throughout the city. I do not arrive at these decisions lightly.”

Kimbrough’s dismissal comes a day after an internal review into the incident was completed. He was previously on paid administrative leave.

Hollman became unresponsive while being arrested following a minor car crash on busy street just west of downtown Atlanta. His relatives have said he just finished up a bible study and was bringing dinner home to his wife when he collided with another vehicle.

Both Hollman and the second driver remained on the scene and waited nearly an hour for police to arrive.

Tensions quickly escalated when Kimbrough determined Hollman was at fault in the crash and attempted to write him a ticket. Authorities said the deacon refused to sign the citation, prompting a struggle between the two, which culminated in Kimbrough deploying his Taser.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner later determined Hollman’s cause of death to be cardiac dysrhythmia — or an abnormal heart rhythm — spurred by the use of a “conducted energy device,” according to an autopsy report obtained by Axios.

While the bodycam footage has not yet been released, Hollman’s loved ones and their legal team have been allowed to view the footage. Mawuli Davis, a lawyer for the the victim’s family, said the clips will show Hollman repeatedly agreed to sign the ticket, calling the police account a “false narrative.”

With News Wire Services