DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson has initiated a comprehensive review of the DeKalb County Police Department’s response to an anti-ICE protest that took place along Chamblee Tucker Road last Saturday. As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, Cochran-Johnson is reaffirming the commitment to uphold the right to peaceful protests while ensuring transparency and accountability of law enforcement actions.
The protests began peacefully, with participants chanting and waving flags, but when the crowd swelled and purportedly started to make their way towards the interstate highway, the police felt compelled to act. “We will always uphold the right to peacefully protest in DeKalb County,” Cochran-Johnson said in a statement obtained by Atlanta News First. Nevertheless, the county has the “responsibility to protect the safety of our residents, our officers, and the broader community.”
Officers, including many in riot gear from both the DeKalb County Police and the Georgia State Patrol, responded with crowd control measures, deploying tear gas after declaring the gathering an “unlawful assembly.” This led to dozens of arrests during the multi-agency response, as indicated by FOX 5 Atlanta. According to the same outlet, CEO Cochran-Johnson has stated that a full review will encompass police reports, arrest records, body-worn camera footage, and aerial drone video…