Families and residents urge action on police accountability and community supports during public comment
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Summary
Family members of Linton Blackwell asked the committee for help obtaining body-worn camera footage and justice after an officer-involved shooting; other public commenters raised prayerful remarks, allegations about systemic misconduct, and called for recognition of school bus drivers.
Several members of the public addressed the committee during the public comment portion of the Feb. 9 meeting, urging action on police accountability and offering community perspectives.
Don Evans spoke on behalf of his brother, Linton Blackwell, who he said was killed in Buckhead: "I'm here representing my brother... who was killed in Buckhead, shot by a police officer, officer Gerald Walker, 17 times in his back," Evans said. He asked the committee to help obtain justice and to make the body-worn camera footage available to the family. Committee members and staff said the footage had been placed with the family's office and that the law department would be engaged on the matter; APD representatives indicated the family would see the footage on the 13th.
Rasheed Walker reiterated the family's call for answers and described the community's pain. The committee received other public comments, including a prayerful statement by Henri Jordan and a lengthy personal claim by Ashley Green Wade alleging long-running conspiracies and false reporting; those claims were taken as public comment and were not adjudicated by the committee.
Margie McLeod asked the council to honor school bus drivers who have died and thanked members for recognizing their service.
Why it matters: family calls for body-worn footage and justice were met with commitments to involve the law department and APD to provide updates. The committee did not take formal action at the moment beyond directing staff to follow up with the law department and APD.
Next steps: council members requested APD and the law department to brief the committee or the family with updates on the body-worn footage and investigation.