Protestors who chained themselves to police training center construction equipment released from jail, records show
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Several protestors who were arrested during a demonstration against Atlanta police’s future public safety training center — dubbed “Cop City” by opponents — were released from jail on Saturday, according to DeKalb County Jail records.
On Thursday, the five protestors reportedly trespassed onto the property where the training center is being built and chained themselves to construction equipment, police said. The group said they were there to implement “the people’s stop work order.” The five were let go on an “unsecured judicial release,” meaning no bond was assigned, jail records show.
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The protestors are:
- Lalita Martin, 28, from Atlanta, charged with trespassing, obstruction and reckless conduct
- Timothy Sullivan, 25, from Burlington, Mass., charged with trespassing and obstruction
- Ayeola Whitworth, 25, from Atlanta, charged with trespassing and obstruction
- David Dunn, 61, from Roswell, charged with trespassing and obstruction
- Jeffrey Jones, 65, from Smyrna, charged with trespassing and obstruction
For years, the training center has been the center of heated protests and incidents — some deadly. Most recently, more than 60 people are facing racketeering charges in connection to their protest of the site.
Police say the 85-acre complex in DeKalb County would act as a mock city for real-world training and emergency vehicle operations, among other things.
RELATED: The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center | A timeline of violence, controversy
Opponents say they have collected more than 100,000 signatures for a referendum, where voters would decide the training center’s fate. The signatures are currently being verified.
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