6 Atlanta police charged with attacking Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young

Source: Elijah Nouvelage / Getty

At this point, we’ve all probably seen the video of six Atlanta police officers violently attacking a young couple, Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young, and dragging them out of their car during a protest.

Yesterday, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that two officers had been fired and three others were put on desk duty. Today, the AJC is reporting that six APD cops have officially had criminal charges filed against them for shooting both Pilgrim and Young with tasers.

Howard announced that six officers will be charged in the case. Officers Ivory Streeter and Mark Gardner, both of whom were fired following the incident, are charged with aggravated assault, Howard said. Streeter faces an additional charge of pointing or aiming a gun at Messiah Young. Howard has also charged Officer Lonnie Hood with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of simple battery; Officer Willie Sauls with aggravated assault and criminal damage to property; Officer E. Armond Jones with aggravated battery and pointing or aiming a gun; and Officer F. Ronald Claud with criminal damage to property.

For his part, Messiah Young says, “I feel safer now that these monsters are off the street and no longer able to terrorize people.”

Arrests are good. Charges are great. Convictions are the goal.