Atlanta’s Citizen Review Board found police guilty of misconduct during the Atlanta Eagle raid.

At an August 12, 2010 public meeting at Atlanta City Hall, the Board sustained allegations that police officers made racist and anti-gay slurs and used the “F word” to abuse and demean Eagle patrons and employees during the raid.

The Board voted to postpone a recommendation about disciplinary sanctions until it completes its overall investigation of police misconduct at the Eagle.

More information is available from Atlanta NPR-affiliate WABE Radio (”Citizen Review Board Finds Police Misconduct During Eagle Raid“) and The Georgia Voice newspaper (”Police used abusive language in botched Atlanta Eagle bar raid“).

Citizen Review Board Finds Police Misconduct at Eagle is a post from: Official Site: Atlanta Eagle Police Raid Federal Lawsuit

The Atlanta Citizen Review Board voted last night to recommend disciplinary sanctions against two officers for falsely arresting David Shepherd, the Eagle assistant manager who was watching TV in his apartment when he was arrested by police.

The CRB recommended sanctions against Investigator Bennie Bridges (left) and Sgt. John Brock (right), seen below at the March 11, 2010 trial of the “Eagle 8.”

Photo courtesy ProjectQAtlanta

Mr. Shepherd is one of 28 plaintiffs in a federal civil rights lawsuit filed against the city of Atlanta and 35 individual police officers including Investigator Bridges and Sgt. Brock.  Mr. Shepherd’s warrantless arrest in his home violated the United States Supreme Court ruling in Payton v. New York as well as other Supreme Court rulings, Georgia law, and the Atlanta Police Department’s own regulations.

Last night’s meeting concerned only the complaint filed by Mr. Shepherd.   The CRB will consider the complaints of other Eagle patrons and employees over the next few months.

UPDATE:  The GA Voice (Atlanta’s GLBT newspaper) has published an in-depth story about the CRB meeting which is worth reading.

Atlanta Citizen Review Board Accuses Police Officers of False Arrest at Eagle is a post from: Official Site: Atlanta Eagle Police Raid Federal Lawsuit

WSB-TV story

Six More Atlanta Eagle Patrons Join Federal Lawsuit: WABE-Atlanta/NPR

Reed calls Eagle lawsuit ‘threat to city’: ProjectQAtlanta

Reed clarifies remarks over Eagle lawsuit, probe: ProjectQAtlanta

Focus turns to federal lawsuit over Eagle raid:  GA Voice

Gay bar’s lawsuit against Atlanta police expanded: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Bittersweet Victory:  GA Voice blog editorial

Recent Press Coverage of Eagle Raid Lawsuit is a post from: Official Site: Atlanta Eagle Police Raid Federal Lawsuit

Attorneys in the Atlanta Eagle federal lawsuit (Calhoun v. Pennington) today filed an Amended Complaint naming 35 individual Atlanta police officers as defendants and adding six additional Eagle patrons to the list of plaintiffs.

A copy of the Amended Complaint is available here:  Download PDF

The plaintiffs are represented by attorney Dan Grossman, the Southern Center for Human Rights, and Lambda Legal.

Atlanta Eagle Lawyers File Amended Complaint, Naming 35 Police Officers and Adding 6 New Plaintiffs is a post from: Official Site: Atlanta Eagle Police Raid Federal Lawsuit

The discovery process begins today in the federal lawsuit against the city and the individual police officers who conducted the raid.

Attorneys for the police begin taking depositions of raid victims this morning in a process that will last two weeks, and the plaintiffs will be requesting radio transmission tapes and other evidence for use at trial.

Listen to a story about the case at Atlanta’s NPR affiliate, WABE:  Atlanta Eagle Civil Lawsuit Gains Speed This Week

Last week the Eagle employees charged by police with “unlicensed underwear dancing” during the illegal raid on September 10-11, 2009 were found Not Guilty by an Atlanta judge.

The lawsuit was filed jointly by The Southern Center for Human Rights, Lambda Legal, and attorney Dan Grossman.

Discovery Begins in Eagle Raid Federal Lawsuit Today is a post from: Official Site: Atlanta Eagle Police Raid Federal Lawsuit

The city ordinance violation trial of the four dancers and four Eagle employees taken to jail during the September 10, 2009 police raid has been rescheduled for March 11, 2010 at 8:00 AM.

The City of Atlanta has still refused to drop charges against any of the eight men, who include a doorman, a bartender, and an off-duty manager who was arrested in his home above the Eagle.

Eagle Eight Trial Rescheduled for March 11th is a post from: Official Site: Atlanta Eagle Police Raid Federal Lawsuit

Atlanta Municipal Court Judge Crystal A. Gaines has postponed the trial of four Atlanta Eagle employees and four dancers charged with city ordinance violations.  The trial was originally scheduled for February 4, 2010.  No new trial date has been set.

“Eagle Eight” Trial Postponed is a post from: Official Site: Atlanta Eagle Police Raid Federal Lawsuit

The Public Safety Committee of the Atlanta City Council tonight voted to “hold” (or indefinitely postpone) a resolution to apologize for the actions committed by police officers at the Atlanta Eagle bar on September 10-11, 2009.

Councilman Ivory Lee Young, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, expressed his desire for the issue to be litigated in court, rather than resolved by the City Council.

Atlanta Council Committee Declines to Apologize for Police Raid is a post from: Official Site: Atlanta Eagle Police Raid Federal Lawsuit

Newly elected Atlanta City Council member Michael Julian Bond has proposed a City Council resolution to apologize to the victims of the police raid on the Atlanta Eagle.

Here is coverage of the story from the local ABC affiliate, WSB-TV:

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/22166920/index.htm

And additional details and a copy of the actual resolution are available at ProjectQAtlanta.

The proposed resolution has been referred to the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, which is scheduled to discuss the matter at a public meeting on Tuesday, January 12, 2009.  Eagle co-owner Robert Kelley and Eagle attorney Dan Grossman, among others, will be at the meeting, and supporters are encouraged to attend.  The meeting is currently scheduled for 3:00 PM in Committee Room 2 of Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave.  Anyone wishing to make a comment at the meeting should arrive well in advance, since there is a sign-up procedure, and for further information, the phone number of the City Council is 404-330-6030.

Atlanta City Council Resolution about Apology to Eagle Raid Victims is a post from: Official Site: Atlanta Eagle Police Raid Federal Lawsuit

The Atlanta Eagle, and patrons who were present during the police raid on September 10, 2009, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit this morning against the City of Atlanta, Police Chief Richard Pennington, and the individual police officers involved in the raid. The lawsuit was filed jointly by Atlanta attorney Dan Grossman, Lamdba Legal, and The Southern Center for Human Rights.

Contact information.

A complete copy of the complaint is available for download, and additional details about the lawsuit will be posted soon: Calhoun v. Pennington [pdf]

To learn more about the case, you can read full details about What Happened at the Atlanta Eagle, or review a brief summary about the Police Raid.

If you were at the Eagle during the raid, you can also learn more about how to join the lawsuit as a plaintiff.

Please feel free to post a comment about the Atlanta Eagle Raid.

Atlanta Eagle Patrons File Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Atlanta Police is a post from: Official Site: Atlanta Eagle Police Raid Federal Lawsuit