Atlanta, GA

Atlanta police changes procedures following I-Team investigation into girl’s starving death

Published

2 years ago

February 2, 2024

Atlanta police changes procedures following I-Team investigation into girl’s starving death

Procedures change after girl’s starving death

The death of 4-year-old Treasure McWeay after her father allegedly kidnapped her has caused ripples through the Atlanta Police Department and the Division of Family and Children Services. There are growing concerns some procedures were no followed, while some policies need to be changed.

ATLANTA – The death of a child in west Atlanta revealed major problems in Georgia’s child protection services, showing police and social workers barely working together to find 4-year-old Treasure McWeay after her father allegedly kidnapped her.

With the FOX 5 I-Team continuing to ask questions, the Atlanta Police Department announced an overhaul in how it handles calls for assistance from the state Division of Family and Children Services. Calls about children in peril will be dispatched within two minutes and tracked over time to ensure proper follow-up, the department told the I-Team.

“We believe in being protectors of the innocent and we share the concerns brought to light after Treasure’s death,” APD said in a statement provided by spokesman Sgt. John Chafee.

After allegedly kidnapping his three small children from their mother in Maryland, Rodney McWeay is accused of taking them back to the same residence DFCS had removed them from, then depriving them of food and water. (FOX 5)

An I-Team investigation found that during the five months between the kidnapping and Treasure’s death by starvation, DFCS asked police for help checking on Treasure and her brothers at least three times. Police officers and case workers were outside 31-year-old Rodney McWeay’s lower-level duplex unit on multiple occasions, but not at the same time, and not coordinating.

One legal expert told the I-Team that, under their own policies, Atlanta police had a duty to take “immediate action” in the case, but didn’t.

After one request for a welfare check, police didn’t go to the duplex at all, according to court testimony from a homicide detective. The second time, records show, an officer wasn’t dispatched until an hour and a half after a 911 call. The final time – less than a month before Treasure’s death – it took police almost five hours to arrive at the house.

When McWeay didn’t answer his door, case records show no further efforts to get inside the unit. After the girl died, police discovered she and her brothers had been locked inside, deprived of food and water.

Law professor and former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan said McWeay’s door should have been kicked in.

Former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan, who reviewed case files and police policies related to the McWeay case, said he was shocked to hear DFCS workers using 911 to call for police assistance. (FOX 5)

“My gosh, if you can’t go in a residence where you’ve got probable cause and a child has been abused, because they don’t answer the door, we’re in a serious problem,” he said.

APD announced changes this week in how it will prioritize and track calls from DFCS requesting welfare checks. An internal investigation into APD’s handling of 911 calls in the McWeay case is ongoing, and APD officials would not comment beyond a written statement.

The statement, provided Wednesday, said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum and Department of Human Services Commissioner Candice Broce are working together to improve the relationship.

“Two changes are in the process of being implemented,” the statement said. “First, calls involving a DFCS employee requesting assistance for a welfare check will be upgraded to a priority 2 call, requiring dispatch within 2 minutes.

“Second, the department is creating a new ‘Signal’ for calls involving a DFCS employee requesting assistance for a welfare check. The new Signal improves APD’s ability to track data related to these calls and ensure proper action and follow-up occur,” the statement said.

APD said it is also working with DFCS to schedule specialized training for officers, taught by DFCS workers.

A FOX 5 I-Team investigation found 4-year-old Treasure McWeay’s life might have been saved had Atlanta police and DFCS been cooperating on gaining access into her father’s west Atlanta duplex unit. She’s seen here in a photo provided by a family frie

Treasure McWeay died Dec. 11, her body described as “just pure bone” by a detective in court last month.

Her father faces 15 felony charges, including malice murder. He’s accused of kidnapping Treasure and her brothers, ages 3 and 5, after DFCS had removed them from his duplex unit in June over “deplorable” conditions and the children appearing malnourished, according to DFCS records. DFCS placed the children with their mother, who had fled to Maryland over alleged domestic violence.

Fulton County Deputy District Attorney Lauren McAuley said in a bond hearing last month that McWeay drove to Maryland and took the children back around July 6. In one of the 911 calls from DFCS, a case worker described the kidnapping to a dispatcher.

Rodney McWeay, 31, faces 15 felony charges in the death of his daughter, Treasure, and alleged abuse of his other children and their mother. A Fulton County judge denied him bond last month. (FOX 5)

“So here’s the deal. Dad went up to Maryland this past July, like around Fourth of July, to see three children, ages 2, 4 and 5,” the case manager said in a recording of the Oct. 30 call. “Mom had already come to get them a couple of months prior, because we had to pull them out the house because of deplorable conditions.

“Mom said it was raining, because she called it in to us,” the DFCS worker told 911. “And so she said, ‘Let’s sit in the car.’ So she sits in the car with the children. He strong-armed her, pushed her out, and stole the car with the kids.”

The children wound up back in the same duplex unit they’d been removed from, where DFCS had previously noted the children seemed hungry, with mold on the walls, the stench of urine, no air on, and exposed wiring. McWeay is accused of keeping the children locked up and separated, monitored by surveillance cameras while he left them alone for long periods of time.

Wanda Polnitz, who knew McWeay through one of her daughter’s friends, said she reported him to DFCS in June, which led case workers to remove the children from the duplex. Polnitz said she kept Treasure and her brothers at her daycare center for several hours while they waited for their mother to pick them up. She thought the children were safe in Maryland, until she learned one of them died.

Wanda Polnitz said she tried to help Rodney McWeay and his children by setting them up with a live-in nanny. But that nanny only lasted three nights in the duplex unit, urging Wanda to call DFCS on McWeay. (FOX 5)

“They have to be more proactive,” Polnitz said of police and DFCS. “If they think children are in danger, and somebody’s not answering the door, they should get a warrant to have the door kicked in.”

Morgan, a criminal law professor at Western Carolina University, said police didn’t need a warrant. For this story, he reviewed police records in the case, 911 calls, the DFCS case file and Atlanta Police’s Standard Operating Procedures.

“Usually in these cases, the whipping post is DFCS, and all the fingers point to DFCS as the reason that the child died and the case fell through the system,” Morgan said. “That’s not the case here … When it comes down to the bottom line of why this child was starved to death, it’s because the police did not intervene when they ample opportunities to do so.”

Morgan gave several reasons for placing most of the blame on police.

According to APD’s own policies, he said, the case should have been handed over to the department’s Special Victims Unit, which would have a duty to take “immediate action” when a child is in danger and child protective services can’t get into a home.

Also, under state law, every Georgia county must adopt a Child Abuse Protocol, describing how police, DFCS, judges, district attorneys and others will work together to prevent child abuse and neglect. Fulton County’s protocol has several pages describing how DFCS and law enforcement should be cooperating, but Morgan said he found no evidence of that in the McWeay case.

Morgan, who once chaired DeKalb County’s Child Abuse Protocol Committee, said he was shocked to hear DFCS using 911 to ask for police help.

“There should be a hotline between social (workers) and the police,” he said. “If I had not heard the tapes myself, I would say somebody’s making a terrible mistake, that cannot be happening. But that’s exactly what is happening.”

Fulton County’s Child Abuse Protocol Committee, the vehicle for collaboration efforts between departments, is chaired by Fulton County Executive District Attorney Daysha Young. She referred questions to a DA’s office spokesperson, who did not respond to messages from the I-Team.

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Atlanta, GA

Offset shot in South Florida near Hard Rock Casino; Atlanta rapper hospitalized, stable

Published

12 hours ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

Offset shot in South Florida near Hard Rock Casino; Atlanta rapper hospitalized, stable

Atlanta rapper Offset is hospitalized after being shot in South Florida, according to his representative, in a developing story that is drawing national attention across both Miami and Atlanta.

The shooting happened Monday near the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, just outside Miami, according to multiple reports.

“We can confirm Offset was shot and is currently at the hospital receiving medical care,” his representative told Variety. “He is stable and being closely monitored.”

Authorities have not released details about what led to the shooting, whether a suspect is in custody, or if others were involved.

As of Monday night, the investigation remains active.

Atlanta ties amplify concern

Offset, whose real name is Kiari Cephus, rose to fame as a member of the Grammy-nominated hip-hop group Migos, which originated in metro Atlanta.

His connection to the city – and continued influence in its music scene – is prompting concern among fans and artists across Georgia.

The incident also underscores how ties to Atlanta’s music industry continue to intersect with South Florida – a frequent destination for performances, events, and nightlife.

What we do and don’t know

Location: Near Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida

Condition: Stable and under close monitoring

Motive: Unknown

Seminole Police Department released a statement following the incident, saying: “We are aware of an incident that occurred at a valet area after 7 p.m. Monday outside of Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood that resulted in non-life threatening injuries to an individual who was transported to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. Seminole Police were on site immediately and the situation was contained quickly. Two individuals have been detained by police. The investigation is ongoing. The site is secure and there is no threat to the public. Operations continue as normal.”

What’s next

Law enforcement is expected to release additional details as the investigation develops.

It’s unclear whether surveillance footage from the heavily trafficked casino area could play a role in identifying the suspects.

CBS News will continue to follow this story closely, with updates from both South Florida and Atlanta as more information becomes available.

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Dream acquire 2-time WNBA All-Star Angel Reese from Chicago Sky

Published

24 hours ago

April 6, 2026

Press Room

Atlanta Dream acquire 2-time WNBA All-Star Angel Reese from Chicago Sky

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Dream acquired two-time WNBA All-Star Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky on Monday in exchange for first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028.

Atlanta also receives the right to swap second-round picks with Chicago in 2028.

The 6-foot-3 Reese averaged 14.1 points and 12.9 rebounds in her two seasons with Chicago, earning All-Star honors each year while finishing as the runner-up for rookie of the year in 2024.

“Angel is a dynamic talent and a perfect fit for what we are building in Atlanta,” general manager Dan Padover said in a statement released by the Dream. “She has already proven herself as one of the most impactful players in the league, and her competitiveness, production and drive to win align seamlessly with our vision. This is an exciting moment for our organization and our fans.”

Reese, 23, was the No. 7 overall pick by Chicago in the 2024 WNBA draft after leading LSU to the 2023 national championship.

The trade comes after Reese expressed frustrations late in last season’s 10-34 finish for the Sky. She told the Chicago Tribune that she “might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me” if the team didn’t improve its outlook. She later apologized to the team for the comments.

“I’m not settling for the same … we did this year,” Reese told the newspaper. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me. I’m willing and wanting to play with the best. And however I can help to get the best here, that’s what I’m going to do this offseason.

“So it’s going to be very, very important this offseason to make sure we attract the best of the best because we can’t settle for what we have this year.”

The Sky suspended Reese for half of a game for comments deemed “detrimental to the team.” The team listed her as dealing with a back injury for its final three games, raising speculation about her long-term future in Chicago.

“This trade is designed to achieve roster balance and represents a great opportunity for all parties,” Chicago general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a statement released by the Sky.

“Angel has achieved many record-breaking milestones in her first two years in the WNBA and has been a competitive force for the Sky. We are thankful for her many important contributions to this league and this game, and we know she will continue to have a big impact on the court and beyond. We wish Angel all the best in her next chapter.”

Reese averaged 14.7 points last season and led the WNBA with 12.6 rebounds per game. She joins an Atlanta roster that boasts other established stars and flourished under the leadership of coach Karl Smesko.

Allisha Gray finished fourth in the MVP voting last season. Rhyne Howard became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 300 career 3-pointers. Naz Hillmon was named Sixth Player of the Year and Brionna Jones was an All-Star.

“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the Atlanta Dream organization,” Reese said. “I’m focused on continuing to grow my game, competing at the highest level, connecting with the fans, and giving everything I’ve got to the Dream.”

Atlanta set a franchise record with 30 wins in 2025.

___

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

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Atlanta, GA

When and Where to Watch ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ Season 17 Online

Published

1 day ago

April 6, 2026

Press Room

When and Where to Watch ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ Season 17 Online

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.

Sunday, April 5 is a stacked night for Housewives fans. Season 17 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta premieres at 8 p.m. PT/ET, followed directly by the second-ever Real Housewives of Rhode Island episode at 9 p.m. PT/ET. And since The Real Housewives airs on Bravo, cord-cutters can watch new episodes live on any streaming service that carries the network, including DirecTV (with a five-day free trial), Sling and Hulu + Live TV.

Additionally, new Housewives episodes stream on-demand the following day on Peacock (meaning the season 17 premiere drops on Monday, April 6), and while the streamer doesn’t offer a free trial directly, deal seekers can enjoy free Peacock access through partner subscriptions, including DirecTV, Instacart+ and Walmart+. More on each option below.

At a Glance: How to Watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 17

Premiere: Sunday, April 5, 8 p.m. PT/ET (new episodes air weekly during same time slot)
TV channel: Bravo
Stream online: DirecTV, Sling and Hulu + Live TV; next day on Peacock

Where to Watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 17: Air Date and Time, Stream Online Free

Season 17 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta premieres on Sunday, April 5, at 8 p.m. PT/ET on Bravo, which can be streamed live via DirecTV (with a five-day free trial), Sling or Hulu + Live TV. Remaining episodes will air weekly on Sundays during the same time slot.

Additionally, new episodes will drop on Peacock the day after airing on Bravo. Not a Peacock subscriber? While the streamer itself no longer offers a free trial period, customers who sign up for one of DirecTV’s signature packages — Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate or Premier — can get two months of the Movies Extra Pack + Peacock at no cost (a $19.98 value). Plus, DirecTV offers a five-day free trial for any plan, meaning new members can stream Real Housewives (and everything else the packages have to offer) at no cost during the trial period. Simply select your preferred signature package, then opt to add “Movies Extra Pack + Peacock Premium” where it instructs you to pick your add-ons.

The Best Peacock Subscription Deals and Free Trial Hacks

Prefer to watch it live? Learn more about each option (and their free trials and new subscriber discounts) below.

DirecTV

Five-day free trial; packages from $19.99 per month

Bravo is included in any of DirecTV’s signature packages: Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate or Premier. Plus, DirecTV is offering a five-day free trial for its streaming service, meaning new subscribers can catch new episodes at no cost.

Learn more about each plan option, including how to build your own channel lineup (starting at just $19.99 per month), at directv.com.

Sling

Half off first month for select plans

Bravo is included in Sling’s Blue Plan, starting at $45.99 per month.

For the best bang for your buck, opt for Sling’s Orange & Blue plan, which is currently half off for the first month: $33 for the first month and $65.99 monthly thereafter.

Hulu + Live TV

Three-day free trial; packages from $89.99 per month

Watch Bravo for free with a three-day trial to Hulu + Live TV, which comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+, starting at $89.99 per month.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta Cast for Season 17

Newcomers Pinky Cole and K. Michelle join returning cast members Phaedra Parks, Porsha Williams (star of The Traitors season four), Drew Sidora, Kelli Ferrell, Shamea Morton Mwangi and Angela Oakley. Cynthia Bailey will make her RHOA return as a friend-of.

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