Former Georgia college students awarded $2 million after being pulled from vehicle, tased by police
The incident was all caught on camera and quickly went viral on social media.
The incident was all caught on camera and quickly went viral on social media.
The incident was all caught on camera and quickly went viral on social media.
A major payout for two former Georgia college students who were tased by police during an arrest in 2020.
On Monday, the Atlanta City Council approved a $2 million settlement for Messiah Young and Taniyah Pilgrim.
The two were driving near a downtown protest when they were stopped by police and pulled from their vehicle by six officers. Watch video from the incident above.
Young and Pilgrim were arrested for a curfew violation.
The curfew had been put in place admit protests in the city over the death of George Floyd.
The incident was all caught on camera and quickly went viral on social media.
The former students spoke during a Tuesday news conference.
"Thank you to everyone who supported us over the years," said Young. "There's a lot of work to be done. There's still blood on the streets of Atlanta. The idea of justice that was once lauded has unfortunately crumbled to dust. We will keep pushing forward."
"I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been supporting and uplifting us," added Pilgrim. "This situation occurred four years ago and it's a memory that I've been wanting to forget and I'm sure Messiah has too, but unfortunately, it is etched into our memory. But... yeah, I just want to say I'm happy that this is finally settled. I'm happy to close this chapter of my life."
The officers involved were initially charged but those charges were later dismissed after the Fulton County District Attorney's Office determined their actions were justified.
Two officers who were fired after the incident were later reinstated to the Atlanta Police Department.