Regardless of the Fulton County District Legal professional’s Workplace compiling a 65-page investigative report outlining the the reason why an Atlanta police officer ought to be charged within the capturing loss of life of an unarmed Black man, the identical district lawyer’s workplace is now refusing to attraction a call by a Trump-appointed federal choose who final month dismissed the case.
And the sufferer’s father, Jimmy Hill, believes it’s as a result of his son was not a celeb.
In any case, he stated, Fulton County District Legal professional Fani Willis didn’t hesitate to aggressively pursue prices in opposition to President Donald Trump and Atlanta rapper Younger Thug lately.
However Hills says she refuses to do the identical for Jimmy Atchison, the 21-year-old unarmed Black man who was killed by Atlanta police officer Sung Kim in 2019 whereas hiding in a closet and who was complying with the cop’s orders when he was killed, in accordance with different cops on the scene.
“It’s unacceptable,” Hill stated in an unique interview with Atlanta Black Star. “How are you going to not attraction this case, realizing there was an injustice that was performed to my son?”
“Why can’t you spend a few of that very same power such as you did once you went after Donald Trump and Younger Thug? Why can’t you spend a few of that very same power on my son?”
The Fulton County District Legal professional’s Workplace indicted Kim in December 2022 after the company’s Public Integrity Unit revealed a 65-page report accusing the cop of violating a number of legal guidelines, insurance policies and procedures, charging him with felony homicide, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and violation of oath of workplace.
However final month, United States District Choose Michael L. Brown, appointed by Trump in 2018, dismissed the case — which had been taken from the state by the federal Division of Justice — claiming that Kim was “immune from prison prosecution” as a result of he “moderately believed” Atchison had a gun and was performing in self-defense.
The district lawyer’s workplace had the choice of submitting an attraction earlier than the eleventh Circuit Courtroom of Appeals, however final week, Hill was knowledgeable that it was not going to file an attraction.
“You’re supposed to face for reality and justice,” he stated in regard to the district lawyer’s workplace.
“You proceed to rave about integrity, however why don’t you have got the braveness to point out some integrity and attraction this unjust ruling?”
Hill, 63, who has been combating for justice for his son because the capturing loss of life, stated he realized in regards to the district lawyer’s resolution to not file an attraction final week by way of a cellphone name from his lawyer.
Atlanta Black Star reached out to the district lawyer’s media division for remark or paperwork pertaining to its resolution, however has not heard again but.
‘Miscarriage of Justice’
Atlanta police started investigating Atchison in January 2019 after a girl named Kelly Brogan accused the Black man of stealing her cellphone and purse at gunpoint, which Hill claims is fake.
As an alternative, Atchison requested to make use of her cellphone, then walked away with it with out utilizing power or weapons, Hill asserts.
However, the case was handed as an armed theft to the Atlanta Metropolitan Main Offenders Violent Crimes Activity Pressure, often known as AMMO, which is overseen by the FBI however made up of federal and native officers.
On January 22, 2019, Kim, who was main the duty power, lied to the 12 different officers by claiming that Atchison had a violent historical past of combating with police and could be armed and harmful, which was not the case.
Later that day, the duty power, which consisted of 11 Atlanta law enforcement officials and two federal brokers, donned army gear and broke into the house the place Atchison was staying with the mom of his kids.
Atchison hopped out a window, prompting a foot pursuit that lasted an hour, the place at no level did police see him holding a gun.
He finally ran right into a constructing and into the condo of a girl, the place he hid within the closet. The lady gave police consent to enter the condo, however by no means talked about something about him being armed.
Kim was the primary cop to enter the unit and stated he noticed someone hiding within the closet, lined in garments, the place solely his eyes have been seen, so he walked again exterior and beckoned 4 different officers to stroll in with him, together with two native cops and two federal brokers.
Kim then claimed he ordered Atchison to “present us your fingers” or “don’t transfer,” however the district lawyer’s workplace decided the cop instructed him to point out his fingers.
However when Atchison did present his fingers, Kim fired his gun a single time, placing the person within the head, killing him.
Kim claimed Atchison was holding each his fingers collectively as if he had a gun, making him worry for his life, however not one of the different cops fired their weapons.
Kim, who labored for the Atlanta Police Division for 26 years, retired in November 2019. The Fulton County District Legal professional’s Workplace indicted him in December 2022.
“The investigation by PIU found that in execution of the arrest warrant, the AMMO Activity Pressure violated the regulation, FBI polices and a number of other APD insurance policies and procedures,” said the investigative report by the district lawyer’s Public Integrity Unit.
The report listed a number of examples of why Kim wanted to be indicted, together with the truth that he lied about Atchison’s previous, accusing him of getting a historical past of violence in opposition to cops when there was not a single occasion to help that declare.
“The dealing with of this case has been a miscarriage of justice,” stated Hill.
“It’s been an instance of a supreme failure within the prison justice system. Like, who do you actually belief? Who’s liberty and justice actually for?”
Hill, who vows to proceed combating for justice for his son, is asking residents to signal a petition encouraging the district lawyer’s workplace to file an attraction.
We’ll replace this story if the Fulton County District Legal professional’s Workplace responds to our request for remark or documentation concerning its resolution to not file an attraction.
