Lawsuit filed against Clayton County Police officer

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) - There’s a call for a Clayton County Police officer to step down.

Khanay Yancey says in 2019, Clayton County Police Officer Gregory Tillman broke down her door and attacked her. Now, she’s taking legal action.

It all lasted about 10 minutes from the moment the officer arrived on the scene to the moment Yancey was put in handcuffs.

Now, both sides of a pending lawsuit are waiting to hear what the law decides.

“Once the door came crashing in and he just grabbed me and he was just manhandling me,” said Yancey.

Dramatic body camera footage shows the moment Officer Tillman forcibly breaks down the door of Yancey’s home, placing her in handcuffs in the process.

“I was just screaming and I’m like why are you here why would you do this and he didn’t say anything,” Yancey said.

According to Yancey’s attorney, her friend’s ex-boyfriend, an unwanted house guest with a history of domestic violence, was trying to get in. The ex-boyfriend called the police and that’s when Officer Tillman arrived.

“Officer Tillman spent about less than 5 minutes talking to this individual and determined wrongfully and illegally that he had the right to force entry into Ms. Yancey’s home in order for this person to retrieve items which were not in fact inside,” said Tanya Miller, Yancy’s attorney.

Yancey filed a lawsuit against the Clayton County Police Department and Officer Tillman.

Officer Tillman appealed a ruling that dismissed the lawsuit and sent the case to the 11th circuit court of appeals where it stands now.

“Citizens should not have to go broke to have police officers held accountable by the municipalities that employ them,” Miller said.

When asked whether Tillman is still employed, Clayton County PD said he is working as a police officer and the department will not comment any further on the ongoing litigation.

“I’m just at a point now where I am ready to stand up for myself,” Yancey said.

According to Yancey’s attorney, originally when the lawsuit was filed, an incident review board voted to fire Officer Tillman, however, the board reversed that decision for unknown reasons.

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