“This is not a gift”: Lawyers react to $2M settlement for college students tased by Atlanta PD

Settlement cleared for students tased during protest

In a recent shocking development, two college students have been awarded a $2 million settlement following their highly distressing encounter with the Atlanta police during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020. Lawyers speaking on behalf of Messiah Young, a former student at Morehouse College, and Taniyah Pilgrim, a current student at Spelman College, held a press conference on Tuesday morning to discuss the case and the settlement.

Chris Stewart, Pilgrim’s attorney, made it clear during the press conference that the settlement was not a gratuitous handout but a justified outcome for the victims. “This is not a gift,” he said. “This is not something these kids did not deserve. These are innocent victims who were caught in traffic that night.“

Details surrounding the incident

The students filed the lawsuit in June 2021 after an incident that took place in May 2020. During a Black Lives Matter protest in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, the students were reportedly out for dine, not involved in the protest. Despite their non-involvement, they were tased and forcibly removed from their vehicle by Atlanta police, their lawyers explained.

As per the police, the students refused to comply with commands given, leading to the violent confrontation. The case took a significant turn after attorneys revealed during depositions that the former police chief and the officers involved confessed that the actions taken against the students were unwarranted.

Lawyer Harold Spence presented a damning account of the officers’ inability to justify their radical approach. “They couldn’t give a reason. There was no justifiable legal reason to use any kind of force,” he revealed.

Aftermath and response

Following the event, some of the officers involved were fired by the Atlanta police. Simultaneously, the district attorney criminally charged six officers. However, a special prosecutor cleared them later, leading to their reappointment in the Atlanta police force.

Streeter and Gardner, two of the officers connected with the incident, were dismissed via a Zoom call involving the city lawyer, the then police-chief Erika Shields, and the mayor. In February 2021, the City of Atlanta Civil Service Board reversed the terminations, citing various infringements of city policies and ordinances that amounted to a violation of the officers’ due process rights.

Current status of the students

After a period of suspension, Taniyah Pilgrim has now returned to Spelman College and aims to graduate in December. Expressing her satisfaction at the closure of the case, she said, “I’m happy to close this chapter in my life. I’m so excited.“

Messiah Young, however, has not restarted his education at Morehouse College. Instead, he is focusing on a career in fashion. Nevertheless, the incident has left him disillusioned with the justice system. In his own words: “The idea of justice that was once lauded has crumbled to dust.”