Matthew Johns, a former member of the Atlanta Police Department, has been fired after dash cam video shows he used excessive force in the arrest of a Black teen suspect. After other officers gave chase to a group of teens, Johns arrived on the scene and handed out the beating without any valid reasoning according to accounts.
WSB-TV reports:
It all unfolded on Sept. 15, 2016, in southwest Atlanta. Former officer Matthew Johns, who was a part of the department’s elite Apex Unit, arrived at the scene after the pursuit led by Zone 3 officers and Georgia State Patrol.
Johns, who we’ve learned is also a Marine, is seen jumping out of a cruiser and immediately runs up to one of the three teenage suspects in the stolen car and kicks him in the head.
The video also shows he kicked the teen more than once, struck him on his side repeatedly and then was seen kneeling on his neck before punching him in the head while cuffing him.
Johns told investigators he thought the teen was reaching for a gun. But one of his supervisors didn’t think his story added up, especially when the other officers on scene said the three suspects never resisted.
The outlet adds in its reporting that documents show Johns wasn’t even supposed to be on the scene.
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Photo: WSB-TV
