Posted on 08/28/2010 6:04:50 AM PDT by marktwain
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- The city of Atlanta will pay $4.9 million to the family of Kathryn Johnston, a 92-year-old woman killed in a botched November 2006 drug raid, Mayor Kasim Reed's office announced Monday.
Johnston was shot to death by narcotics officers conducting a "no-knock" warrant. Investigators later determined the raid was based on falsified paperwork stating that illegal drugs were present in the home.
The incident prompted a major overhaul of the Atlanta police drug unit, and three former police officers were sentenced to prison terms for a cover-up that ensued.
Johnston's family will receive $2.9 million sometime in fiscal 2011, the city said, with the remaining $2 million to be paid in fiscal 2012, on or before August 15, 2011. Video: Family paid for wrongful death RELATED TOPICS
* Atlanta * Police * Kathryn Johnston
The payment represents the settlement of a lawsuit filed against the city by Sarah Dozier, Johnston's niece, Reed's office said in a statement. Initially filed in state court, the suit was moved to federal court, where a judge ordered the parties to mediation.
As the search warrant was being executed November 21, 2006, at Johnston's home, she fired at officers with an old pistol, apparently believing her home was being broken into. Six officers returned fire. Johnston's one shot went through her front door and over the officers' heads. They responded with 39 shots, hitting the elderly woman five times.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
what a complete mess, however falsifying documentation to execute a raid, how stupid.
I’d love to see CNN do a follow up in 4-5 years to see how the damage award was “applied”.
Way to hijack your own thread.
I like to think of police as departments of security welfare.
Just like a person should provide their own housing and not live in welfare public housing, not eat with welfare food stamps, they should protect themselves and their property at their own expense. Right?
So, what do police do? They execute political force for political crimes as dictated by our now omnipresent unlimited governments.
I know how I'd be applying it. It'd go to make some very, very special friends in the prison those cops now occupy.
Yep. I’d love to hear that they were gang-raped every day of their sentence.
What was the real purpose of this raid?
Who cares. They didn’t hit the lottery with money from welfare buying the tickets.
There family member was killed.
I bet in 4-5 years their loved one will still be dead.
I’ve said it before, these no knock in the dead of night “raids” designed to stop some low level drug dealing are nothing but organized crime under the color of law. We have amendments to the Constitution that are designed to stop such behavior yet it continues to go on.
If there’s a benign explanation for your comment, could you give it to us?
“What was the real purpose of this raid?”
Seizure of money and property for the PD to use. Drugs and criminals are always last choice as a target.
I guess. Just can’t figure out what a 92 yr grandmother would have that they wanted. Her house maybe?
“Just can’t figure out what a 92 yr grandmother would have that they wanted. Her house maybe?”
Bad information doesn’t preclude greed. Sometimes you get the goldmine and sometimes you get the shaft.
I’m sure this 92 yo woman put up a fierce resistance and the cops were entirely justified in gunning her down. /SAR
When we will shout “enough” and get these no knock raids banned, along with dumping the war on drugs, it might as well be called the war on citizens because many police depts are being militarized and behaving as if citizens have no rights.
The behavior of the police in this incident was not just wrong but intentionally wrong. The cover-up that followed compounded the harm done to the family and the community. But I don’t see how giving away tax money makes the situation any better. The award is not coming from the coffers of the policemen involved nor those of the department. Nobody will suffer but those whose taxes go up.
Excellent result, but it would be much more satifying if the judgement were garneshed from the guilty parties for the rest of their lives.
“Smith admitted to planting bags of marijuana in Johnston’s home after her death.”
That guy in Rockford who had all the guns stolen by the police? I believe this is how the grenade found its way into his home.
Rest in peace Mrs. Johnston, and may your family also find peace.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.