Atlanta holds service in memory of Sonya Massey

Atlanta, GA - On Sunday morning, August 4, around 50 community members gathered at Park Avenue Baptist Church for a service in memory of Sonya Massey and the lives taken by police murders in Georgia. Many families who lost loved ones to police murder were present and shared their stories. 

The service began with song, prayer and verses highlighting struggle against injustice. Reverend Keyanna Jones gave a powerful sermon which expressed the frustration of the Georgia families still fighting to get justice for their loved ones, some of them for more than 20 years. Patricia Scott, mother of Raymond Scott, says she has been seeking accountability for her son since 2003, who was brutalized by the police and later died in Cobb County Jail. Years of struggle against the injustice system have only strengthened the families’ determination to keep fighting.

Arnitra Fallins, daughter of Deacon Johnny Holloman Sr., spoke to the congregation saying “Brought up we were taught that police were supposed to protect and serve us. My father called the police for just that reason. Instead, the person who he called to help him was the very person who killed him.” Deacon Holloman was tased to death by an Atlanta Police officer in August 2023 after calling the police for a minor traffic accident. “A traffic ticket should not be a death sentence,” Fallins added. 

Jimmy Hill, who has been active in the movement since the killing of his son Jimmy Atchison in 2019 by APD and the FBI, pointed to the hypocrisy of the injustice system. “The Department of Justice says it is committed to vigorously prosecuting officers who willingly disregard the constitution and use their authority to violate the rights of others, yet this has not happened. Words not matching action is called manipulation, refusing to be held accountable is gaslighting. And that’s exactly what this is. Why does the Department of Justice continue to rob my family of justice?” Atchison was killed during the carrying out of an unfounded warrant by an APD/FBI joint task force. The killer cop was indicted in a local grand jury but has been running from accountability as the case was moved to federal court. Hill ended with the demand “Justice for Jimmy Atchison!” 

“We have to be persistent and wear these suckers down,” said Reverend Jones, stressing the need to keep up the fight against police terror. Attendees left the service ready to struggle for change alongside the families.

#AtlantaGA #KeyannaJones #JohnnyHolloman #JimmyAtchison #RaymondScott #SonyaMassey #PoliceCrimes