Atlanta, GA

Atlanta City Council members receive death threats over training center vote

Published

2 years ago

June 15, 2023

Atlanta City Council members receive death threats over training center vote

Council members get death threats over vote

Some members of the Atlanta City Council say they have gotten racist taunts, even death threats, after voting in favor of the $90M Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. They say it’s gotten so bad that they now have police posted in front of their homes.

ATLANTA – Atlanta City Council members say they are receiving death threats after voting in favor of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center last week.

Some council members say it’s gotten so bad they now have police posted in front of their homes.

One of those council members who says he’s on the receiving end of some of those threats is Michael Julian Bond. He says anonymous callers have used racist language for Black people, even wished for his death. He says he’s never seen or heard such hostility in all his years on city council.

“Council members have actually had their lives threatened,” Bond said.

He says he and other members who voted in favor of the training center for police and first responders have gotten death threats ever since that controversial vote.

“They said all kinds of ugly things to me,” he said.

It isn’t clear exactly who is making those threats, but Bond says some even invoked the name of his father, civil rights leader Julian Bond.

“They wish I was dead like my father,” he said.

Atlanta City Council members say they are receiving death threats after voting in favor of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center last week. (FOX 5)

Some of the taunts even turned racist.

“There’s been gratuitous use of the ‘N-word’ against me. They’ve made threats against my staff and the entire office,” Bond said.

Last week, council members approved a plan to fund the training center critics call “Cop City”.

They oppose what they say is the expansion of a police department they accuse of abusing people of color in to the South River Forest they call Weelaunee.

The vast majority are impassioned but nonviolent.

“I’ve come to expect criticism,” Bond said.

Atlanta City Council members say they are receiving death threats after voting in favor of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center last week. (FOX 5)

Bond says the anonymous calls have grown so threatening, police officers are now posting up outside council members’ homes.

“They’ve been in front of my home, they’ve been detailed in front of every council person’s home, based on the level of threats they’ve received,” Bond said.

“We in no way, shape or form endorse nor support racism, patriarchy or any of those things,” said James Woodall, public policy associated at the Southern Center for Human Rights.

Woddall says his organization opposes the training center and is against any threats to council-members.

He says too many people who spoke out against the center feel city leaders are ignoring the voices of the people.

“Violence is the language of the unheard. Our leadership is not willing to listen to the people, and this is the consequence of those actions,” Wooddall said.

Atlanta City Council members say they are receiving death threats after voting in favor of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center last week. (FOX 5)

Bond wants protesters to do more: to disavow those threats.

Woodall wants city leaders to do more to address concerns of communities of color he says experience police overreach.

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Atlanta, GA

17-year-old shot in foot on Christmas Eve, Atlanta police say

Published

1 hour ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

17-year-old shot in foot on Christmas Eve, Atlanta police say

ATLANTA – A 17-year-old male is recovering after being shot in the foot on Christmas Eve, according to the Atlanta Police Department.

Officers responded to Grady Memorial Hospital around 10:39 p.m. on Dec. 24, after receiving a report of a gunshot victim. The teenager was being treated by medical staff for a gunshot wound to his left foot.

Preliminary information suggests the shooting may have occurred near 609 Thurmond Street NW. Investigators from the department’s Aggravated Assault Unit are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Authorities emphasized that details are subject to change as the investigation continues.

AtlantaCrime and Public SafetyNews

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta police officer surprises 12-year-old with Christmas gift for good behavior

Published

9 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Atlanta police officer surprises 12-year-old with Christmas gift for good behavior

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – An Atlanta police officer made a 12-year-old boy’s Christmas a little brighter this year.

On Monday, Officer Sebastian Kertchaval surprised 12-year-old Amir with a PlayStation 5, police said in a social media post.

Atlanta Police Officer Sebastian Kertchaval surprised 12-year-old Amir with a Christmas gift.(Atlanta Police Department)

Police said Kertchaval met Amir and his family over the summer while “responding to a 911 call for an unruly child.”

During that visit, Kertchaval saw that Amir was upset with his mother and grandmother.

“And though tensions were high in their home, Ofc. Kertchaval remained patient with Amir, and took the time to positively connect with Amir and was ultimately able to de-escalate the upset child,” police said.

Since that first meeting, Amir’s grandmother has kept Kertchaval updated on Amir’s “increasingly positive behavior throughout the year.”

After hearing of Amir’s progress, Kertchaval bought Amir a new PlayStation 5 for both Christmas and as a reward for his progress.

“Thank you, Officer Kertchaval, for your dedication to community policing and for being a positive example during this holiday season,” police said.

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Atlanta, GA

Some Metro Atlanta Starbucks employees go on strike amid the holidays

Published

19 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

Some Metro Atlanta Starbucks employees go on strike amid the holidays

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – You may experience order delays if you are headed to a Starbucks on Christmas Eve. Some workers in Metro Atlanta are on strike.

Representatives with Starbucks Workers United tell Atlanta News First they feel underpaid and understaffed and are protesting the lack of progress in contract negotiation with the company.

Starbucks union workers in Alpharetta are making their voices heard loud and clear. They allege unfair labor practices.

“When Starbucks workers first started to unionize, they gave non-union workers pay raises and the partners that were unionized didn’t get that until later and so they’re owed back pay,” said Danielle Stolton, Shift supervisor at the Alpharetta store.

Stolton said she has been a part of the bargaining process.

“Personally, last year was the worst year,” she said. “I had a mental breakdown, actually.”

Stolton and others planned this one-day strike to stand in solidarity with over 5,000 workers at more than 300 stores that are protesting.

Strikes have been going on in some places since last Friday. Some baristas said they want better pay and better benefits.

“I know baristas in my store personally who are having to choose between gas or groceries so when you see problems like that it’s really hard to not feel some type of way about the fact that Starbucks made 24 billion dollars in profit this year, two percent more than last year and we’re still seeing two percent pay raises,” said Vivek G, a Starbucks employee.

Starbucks Workers United said the company failed to honor a commitment made in February.

In a statement to Atlanta News First, Starbucks said:

“Workers United delegates prematurely ended our bargaining session this week. It is disappointing they didn’t return to the table given the progress we’ve made to date. Since April we’ve held more than nine bargaining sessions over 20 days. We’ve reached over thirty (30) meaningful agreements on hundreds of topics Workers United delegates told us were important to them, including many economic issues.
We are focused on enhancing the partner (employee) experience, with over $3 billion invested in the last three years. Starbucks offers a competitive average pay of over $18 per hour, and best-in-class benefits. Taken together they are worth an average of $30 per hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours per week. Benefits include health care, free college tuition, paid family leave and company stock grants. No other retailer offers this kind of comprehensive pay and benefits package.
Workers United proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64%, and by 77% over the life of a three-year year contract. This is not sustainable. We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements. We need the union to return to the table.”

“Only around 170 Starbucks stores did not open as planned. With over 10,000 company-operated stores, 98% of our stores and nearly 200,000 green apron partners continuing to operate and serve customers during the holidays,” the coffeechain added.

Some workers feel differently.

“It’s just basic living wages and also again to reiterate is just to have. We’re asking for minimum staffing and realistic expectations and just the ability to run our floors and run our stores in a way that makes the most sense. They say they want to hear us, they say they want to listen but every time we ask for help, we get told no,” Stolton said.

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