College Students Attacked & Arrested By ATL Police Speak Out

Messiah Young and Taniyah Pilgrim were recently captured being assaulted by Atlanta police officers, six of whom were recently arrested and charged.

BYErika Marie
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Six police officers in Atlanta were arrested today (June 2) after a disturbing video circulated showing them assaulting two college students. On Saturday (May 30), 22-year-old Messiah Young and 20-year-old Taniyah Pilgrim were in a car stuck in traffic on an Atlanta street when police began knocking on their window. Soon they were surrounded by a number of officers as one took a baton to break the driver's side window. They were pulled from the vehicle, tased, assaulted, and arrested.

In a press conference, both college students spoke about their recent harrowing incident after it was announced that six officers involved had been arrested and charged. "He did the worse thing," Pilgrim said about one of the officers. "Walking me and Messiah off he said that he was going to shoot us. This is stuff that shouldn't be said after all the trauma."

"I'm very shaken up, I don't know how to act or what to do," she added. "I just can't stop thinking about if cameras weren't there or if they would have went a little bit further - I can't stop thinking about what could have happened." Messiah said, "This isn't just about me, this isn't just about us. This is an entire generation that has to deal with brutality and injustice and wrong-doing for nothing because of the color of their skin or simply because what they prefer." Watch below.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1267229440477716482


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About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.