An Atlanta City Council member who tried to defund the police of millions of dollars last year called 911 Wednesday to report that four people stole his 2016 Mercedes.
That man, Antonio Brown, told a 911 dispatcher the car thieves consisted of four children.
Brown said none of the four children appeared older than 14-years-old. He added that one of them appeared no older than 7.
Brown did not reply to The Georgia Star News’ request for comment Thursday.
According to the incident report on the Atlanta Police Department’s (APD’s) website, the thieves stole Brown’s car at the 2300 block of Verbene Street Northwest. Brown told the reporting officer he parked his car at that location to meet a man named Benjamin Norman when he noticed the children walk past him.
“Mr. Norman observed the first young male 11 to 12 years of age get into the vehicle driver’s seat from the passenger side. Mr. Norman along with Mr. Brown went towards the vehicle,” according to the report.
“While trying to open the door, Mr. Brown stated that the male put the vehicle in drive, pulling Mr. Brown before letting go of the vehicle travelling northwest on Verbena Street.”
No one else witnessed the theft, according to the report.
Brown, according to a video he tweeted last summer, proposed a bill to withhold $73 million of funding from the APD’s budget and reallocate it to a trust fund account “as we reimagine public safety.” Brown did not elaborate.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp this month signed House Bill 286, which prohibits local governments throughout the state from defunding police. Georgia State Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Athens) sponsored the legislation. This after officials in Atlanta and Athens proposed slashing local police budgets. Georgia is now one of the only states in the nation with a law explicitly protecting law enforcement officers when local officials want to defund them.
Members of the Georgia Municipal Association and the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia said they disagreed with the bill when Gaines introduced it in February.
Brown, according to the Atlanta City Council’s website, represents the city’s third district, which includes Vine City, English Avenue, and Atlantic Station.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
