Family of man killed during traffic stop only has more questions after seeing body camera footage

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - If the Hollman family was looking for answers about what happened to Johnny Hollman, the answers they found only upset them and raised more questions.

The 62-year-old died Aug. 10 during an incident with an Atlanta police officer. Hollman was involved in a traffic accident near Cunningham Place and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard just before 11:30 p.m. that night. The officer tried to issue Hollman a traffic citation, but Hollman resisted. The officer then tried to arrest Hollman, shooting him with a Taser and putting him in handcuffs before noticing he had become unresponsive.

The death sparked protests across Atlanta, including a march to City Hall on Aug. 24.

Members of Hollman’s family and their attorneys were shown the body camera footage from the incident Friday afternoon.

Numerous family members could seen crying upon exiting City Hall, emotions that only seemed to grow as lawyers explained what they saw on the body cam footage.

Attorney Mawuli Davis said Hollman disagreed with the at-fault traffic citation he was receiving and requested a police sergeant present to contest it. When Hollman refused to sign that citation, Davis says the officer attempted to arrest Hollman, instigating the event that led to Hollman’s death.

Davis says the whole situation is beyond his ability to comprehend.

“This was—as long as I’ve been doing this—as senseless a death as I’ve ever seen in the City of Atlanta,” Davis said.

The family is calling for the body cam footage to be made public as well as for the officer involved to be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Family attorney Harold Spence was more blunt. "You can call this a murder," he said.

The initial police explanation never made sense to those who knew Hollman as a community fixture and a church deacon.

“Walmart guy, very passionate,” said Royce Tillman, the pastor at Lively Stones of God Missionary Baptist Church, where Hollman was a deacon. “One that just loved. He loved his kids, he loved the ministry, he loved people.”

After his death, shock reigned through the neighborhoods where Hollman was a regular.

"Johnny was a role model for these kids," said Toshia Alexander. "He always kept everyone safe."

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens ordered a full investigation into the death. A statement from the Atlanta Police Department said that the investigation is leading to changes in how officers handle traffic citations.

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