Two Atlanta police officers, who tased and pulled two Atlanta University Center students from their car on Saturday night, have been immediately terminated.
Three others are on desk duty pending an investigation.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms made the announcement during a press conference on Sunday.
The incident happened shortly after the newly imposed 9 p.m. curfew went into effect.
CBS 46 cameras were rolling when 22-year-old Morehouse graduate Messiah Young and his girlfriend, 20-year-old Spellman college student Teniyah Pilgrim were accosted by police.
Teniyah was tased and yanked from the vehicle and slammed to the ground and cuffed. Officers busted out the driver’s side window and began excessively tasing Messiah. It looked as if they were going to electrocute him to death.
Messiah was then yanked from the car to the ground and cuffed.
When a video of the arrest went viral, Messiah’s aunt, Zella Palmer, took to Twitter seeking answers:
My nephew Messiah Young just graduated from Morehouse College. We want answers on why he was tased and dragged from the car with his girlfriend Taniyah Pilgrim attends Spelman College.
We want to talk to him! @KeishaBottoms Please HELP US! His parents are in Chicago!
@KeishaBottoms my nephew Messiah Young has epilepsy. We did not send him to Atlanta from Chicago for this to happen!
He is a good kid and did NOTHING! We want to speak to him. We heard he is detained on the side of the road. Messiah Young just graduated from Morehouse.
Pilgrim was detained and later released at the scene without charges. Young was taken to Grady hospital and released Sunday morning.
Messiah Young is charged with fleeing the scene and driving with an expired license.
Moments ago, CBS 46 released video from another angle of the incident.
Watch below:
Source: CBS 46
