NEWS BRIEF: Charges of police assault on students dismissed

Charges have been dropped for six police officers accused of battery and aggravated assault against two Black college students during a George Floyd protest in 2020, the DA announced Monday. Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young at the time were students of Spelman and Morehouse colleges, respectively, and were caught in a car by officers 45 minutes after the city’s 9 p.m. curfew. An altercation ensued that was caught on video, showing the cops using stun guns to subdue the couple, then dragging them out of their vehicle.

Samir Patel, the temporary district attorney for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, argued the use of force was “the direct result of Mr. Young and Ms. Pilgrim’s resistance to and noncompliance with the officers’ instructions.” Two of the officers were reportedly fired after the incident, while the rest were placed on administrative duty. npr.org