Butler Law Firm Announces Filing of Tyler Griffin Excessive Force Case

ATLANTA, June 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday, June 15, 2020, attorneys representing Tyler Griffin filed an excessive force case against the Atlanta Police Department, Officer Donald Vickers, and Officer Matthew Abad.  According to the filed documents, the case arises out of an arrest on April 5, 2019 in which officers tackled Griffin without provocation, breaking his ankle.  Officers then forced Griffin to walk on the broken ankle in obvious pain, worsening the injury, while they laughed at him.  The arrest was caught on the body-worn video cameras of several officers.  The video and other information is available at https://butlerfirm.com/tyler-griffin-excessive-force-atlanta-police/.

Griffin is young, male, and African-American.  He is represented by Jeb Butler and Matt Kahn of the Butler Law Firm.

"I never wanted to be in this situation," said Griffin.  "I don't like public attention.  But I don't want this to happen to anybody else, so I'm telling my story."

The allegations state that Defendants Vickers and Abad carried out the arrest.   The officers followed Griffin in an unmarked car, without lights and siren off, for some distance before the arrest.  Griffin knew that he was being followed but did not suspect that his pursuers were police officers, so he pulled into a private drive to see if the car followed.  Abad got out of the unmarked patrol car and approached Griffin's car on foot.

The filed documents state that with his pistol drawn and pointing at Griffin's face, Abad identified himself as a police officer for the first time and ordered Griffin to get out of his car.  Griffin got out of his car and stood beside it.  Without warning or provocation, Vickers sprinted at Griffin then tackled him to the ground.  The fall broke Griffin's ankle, which would require an emergency surgery, the installation of a long metal plate, and ten bone screws.  After the fall, Abad, Vickers, and other officers repeatedly forced Griffin to walk on his broken ankle even though he was in obvious pain.  They laughed and mocked him as he grimaced and cried out, calling him a "little girl."

According to the allegations, Vickers had a history of excessive force violations.  In 2010, while off-duty from the Atlanta Police Department and working as a security guard, Vickers was arrested for pointing a loaded assault rifle at three African-American males at Underground Atlanta.  In 2011, Vickers was written up for having sprayed an African-American arrestee with pepper spray, then kicked him in the back several times while he was facing in the other direction.

"He's supposed to protect and serve, not act like he's on WWE," said Butler.

Butler and Kahn have been unable to learn whether APD fired or otherwise disciplined Vickers and Abad.  "We requested this information over six months ago, and they're required to provide it under Georgia's Open Records Act," said Kahn.  "But they haven't disclosed it."

"I grew up trusting the police and believing that if you cooperated with officers, everything would be okay," said Griffin.  "I still think most police officers are good people. But what happened to me is not acceptable.  That's why I'm sharing my story."

The Complaint, video, and other case-related information are available at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4mw1tew7dw07irh/AABz0qwlKPESvT955c6k4brTa?dl=0.

A press conference will be held at the Butler Law Firm on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 at 3:00pm.  The address is 10 Lenox Pointe, Atlanta GA 30324.  The press conference will be held in the parking lot out of sensitivity to the COVID pandemic.  Please RSVP to the press conference with Sarah Christy at [email protected].

PRESS CONTACT: Jeb Butler, [email protected], 678 940 1444

SOURCE Butler Law Firm