Multiple Reports: Atlanta Cops Walk Out in Protest

by Robert Kraychik

Swathes of police officers in Atlanta, GA, are “walking off the job,” according to multiple reports published Wednesday evening.

Todd Starnes tweeted, “BREAKING NEWS: Georgia police sources tell me only two police precincts are staffed in the entire city of Atlanta. Entire zones of officers are walking off the job. Zones 1,3,5 and 6 have left their posts. Zones walking off the job. #BlueLivesMatter.”

BREAKING NEWS: Georgia police sources tell me only two police precincts are staffed in the entire city of Atlanta. Entire zones of officers are walking off the job. Zones 1,3,5 and 6 have left their posts. Zones walking off the job. #BlueLivesMatter

— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) June 18, 2020

Atlanta’s CBS affiliate reported that it had confirmed the walkout through its own sources:

Several Atlanta Police officers have reportedly walked off the job at precincts across the city. The claim comes hours after charges were filed against ex officer Garrett Rolfe and Officer Devin Brosnan in the Rayshard Brooks’ case.

The buzz of patrol officers staging walkouts and refusing to answer calls from Precincts 3,5,6 and others began circulating social Wednesday evening. CBS46 confirmed the walkout through sources at 8:30 p.m.

The Atlanta Police Department acknowledged a “higher than usual number of call outs” on Wednesday evening while claiming that it had the resources necessary to “respond to incidents.”

Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate. The department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations & remain able to respond to incidents.

— Atlanta Police Department (@Atlanta_Police) June 18, 2020