Mothers gather in Atlanta to raise awareness about police brutality

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A group of mothers of children killed by police gathered at Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park in West Atlanta on Sunday, beginning a multiple-day effort to raise awareness about police brutality.

“This is pretty much our community day,” said Ashley McKenzie Smith, whose son Jaylin was killed by police in Memphis last year. Charges were not filed against the officer involved.

The women handed out boxes of goodies, including food, to people at the park.

“I know people know about this, but are you really thinking about if this could happen to your family member?” asked Lisa Keys, whose son Brandon died in a shooting in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Keys hopes to use this week in Atlanta to help spur people into action or at least puts the issue at the front of people’s minds.

“Stop being complacent,” Keys reiterated. “Get out, talk to your politicians, get out in your neighborhood. Do something. Go out and feed somebody. Give back to your community. That’s what’s missing.”

The mothers at the event reiterated that most officers are not bad police, but they think the methods need a major change, including eliminating no-knock warrants.

“The ones who aren’t doing their job and doing it correctly have to go,” Keys said.

It’s a nearly week-long effort to foster knowledge, increase accountability, and show dependability.

“We do know that everyone, at the end of the day, wants to go home,” Smith said.

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