The temperature isn't the only reason for the heat in Atlanta. The city is apparently about to face a barrage of lawsuits stemming from incidents that occurred during last summer's protests.
Civil Rights attorney Mawuli Davis says June is "a special month", referencing Juneteenth as "the celebration of our liberation" and he says the City of Atlanta can expect to be served with a lawsuit each week this month.
Among the incidents mentioned by Davis: the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks by an Atlanta police officer, the tasing of some Atlanta college students, and the dental hygienist who says she suffered a broken collar bone after being body-slammed by an officer.
I spoke with Davis about the lawsuit filed Monday which holds the city, and others, liable in the death of Secoriea Turner. The 8 year old girl was shot and killed near the location where Rayshard Brooks had been shot and killed just weeks prior.
Among those named in the Turner family lawsuit is Atlanta City Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd. In a statement, Sheherd said “It’s been nearly a year since the loss of Secoriea Turner. The pain still resonates with me, within the community and the city at large. My heart is with the family and those who have been impacted by this loss. In the wake of the tragedy, I am aware of the lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of the family. I have been in contact with our law department and will not be making any official statements related to the lawsuit.”
Attorney Davis, whose firm Davis-Bozeman Law is involved with three of the above-named lawsuits, says the city must be held accountable for its actions, or lack there of. The Atlanta-based Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys, and The Cochran Law Firm are also involved in actions being brought against the city.