Police Georgia

It began long before last February's killing of a dance club owner. But it was with that shooting--and the subsequent arrests--that Atlanta's crime ring of bodybuilding cops burst into the news. Nightclub owner Henry Lamar Jeffcoat was shot nine times in his car during a midnight robbery attempt Feb. 10.

Kendra Owens voted for Rep. Cynthia A. McKinney before, and probably will do so again, despite the fact that the Democratic congresswoman last week struck a Capitol Police officer after being stopped at a security checkpoint. "Her apology was fine," Owens said from the food court of the South DeKalb Mall, just east of Atlanta. "The media needs to put it to rest."

Anthony Stone's predicament began on the summer afternoon he first met Gordon "Jack" Garner III. Stone was a clinical psychologist, Garner a police officer who'd come to him for an evaluation. As they sat together in Stone's office here, the therapist began to realize that this cop suffered from more than the usual stress and burnout. Much in life left Jack Garner disgruntled and frustrated. He had to deal with an unsympathetic supervisor and whiny citizens. He didn't fit in.

Anthony Stone's predicament began on the summer afternoon he first met Gordon "Jack" Garner III. Stone was a clinical psychologist, Garner a police officer who'd come to him for an evaluation. As they sat together in Stone's office here, the therapist began to realize that this cop suffered from more than the usual stress and burnout. Much in life left Jack Garner disgruntled and frustrated. He had to deal with an unsympathetic supervisor and whiny citizens. He didn't fit in.

Atlanta police, accused of brutality in this week's massive arrests, detained 10 more anti-abortion protesters Thursday as the group calling itself Operation Rescue continued its "siege of Atlanta." About 150 anti-abortion activists, many pushing their children in carriages, saying the rosary and singing hymns, were met by a phalanx of 40 police officers at one of five clinics in Atlanta that perform abortions.

A small-town mayor who once ordered police to shoot to kill stray dogs and shoot to wound suspected burglars has now ordered them to "shoot to stop" anyone fighting in the city park. "They are to shoot from the waist down only," Mayor B. A. Johnson said after weekend fighting between youths in the rural community's 12-acre park. "We're going to fix it so decent people can go to the park."

Five police officers from metropolitan Atlanta have been implicated in a crime ring linked to a murder, an armed robbery and numerous burglaries. According to police in Clayton County, south of Atlanta, the officers may have had a common link through their interest in bodybuilding. Three officers have been charged with last month's murder of a man who owned a nude dance club. Two are from suburban Riverdale in Clayton County and one is from Fulton County, which embraces most of Atlanta.

Operation Rescue ended its "siege of Atlanta" on Saturday, proclaiming success despite numbers of protesters being well short of its goal and promising to stage similar anti-abortion vigils at clinics across the nation in the coming months. In the culmination of six days of renewed protests, almost 250 anti-abortion demonstrators fanned out over the city, picketing and attempting "rescues" of clinic clients at four Atlanta abortion clinics and drawing 40 arrests.

The son of former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and alcohol possession after he and two other teen-agers were stopped for littering. Police said Andrew J. Young III, 17, was in a car that had been pulled over after Officer Larry Geisz saw a bag of trash thrown out of it. Geisz said he noticed a holster by Young's foot and when he asked the youth what it was, "he did not answer, but reached down and pulled up a pistol and pointed it at me."

With some community leaders predicting violence and the National Guard staging drills nearby, the annual spring bacchanal known as "Freaknik" got under way Friday, with waves of festive college students promenading down barricaded downtown streets. Fearing the worst, many Atlantans have left town. Others stayed home from work, leaving downtown eerily deserted Friday morning. But by early afternoon, the party had begun.

With some community leaders predicting violence and the National Guard staging drills nearby, the annual spring bacchanal known as "Freaknik" got under way Friday, with waves of festive college students promenading down barricaded downtown streets. Fearing the worst, many Atlantans have left town. Others stayed home from work, leaving downtown eerily deserted Friday morning. But by early afternoon, the party had begun.

It began long before last February's killing of a dance club owner. But it was with that shooting--and the subsequent arrests--that Atlanta's crime ring of bodybuilding cops burst into the news. Nightclub owner Henry Lamar Jeffcoat was shot nine times in his car during a midnight robbery attempt Feb. 10.

Five police officers from metropolitan Atlanta have been implicated in a crime ring linked to a murder, an armed robbery and numerous burglaries. According to police in Clayton County, south of Atlanta, the officers may have had a common link through their interest in bodybuilding. Three officers have been charged with last month's murder of a man who owned a nude dance club. Two are from suburban Riverdale in Clayton County and one is from Fulton County, which embraces most of Atlanta.

The son of former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and alcohol possession after he and two other teen-agers were stopped for littering. Police said Andrew J. Young III, 17, was in a car that had been pulled over after Officer Larry Geisz saw a bag of trash thrown out of it. Geisz said he noticed a holster by Young's foot and when he asked the youth what it was, "he did not answer, but reached down and pulled up a pistol and pointed it at me."

Operation Rescue ended its "siege of Atlanta" on Saturday, proclaiming success despite numbers of protesters being well short of its goal and promising to stage similar anti-abortion vigils at clinics across the nation in the coming months. In the culmination of six days of renewed protests, almost 250 anti-abortion demonstrators fanned out over the city, picketing and attempting "rescues" of clinic clients at four Atlanta abortion clinics and drawing 40 arrests.

Atlanta police, accused of brutality in this week's massive arrests, detained 10 more anti-abortion protesters Thursday as the group calling itself Operation Rescue continued its "siege of Atlanta." About 150 anti-abortion activists, many pushing their children in carriages, saying the rosary and singing hymns, were met by a phalanx of 40 police officers at one of five clinics in Atlanta that perform abortions.

He escaped civilization in 1986 but had to steal from it to survive: packaged food, clothes. Officials said locals used to put supplies out on their porches for him so at least the North Pond hermit wouldn't enter their homes. That must have been fine for him. Maine winters are unforgiving yet he seemed to fear attention more than the cold. He always traveled at night so no one would see him. He piled on sleeping bags instead of starting fires. It worked. He said he had not been sick in 27 years.

A Bengal tiger was shot and killed on Interstate 75 as it charged law enforcement officers who had hoped to tranquilize it, authorities said. The animal, weighing between 250 and 400 pounds, was shot Sunday night about two hours after it was first spotted. Authorities said they did not know where the tiger came from but speculated that it either escaped from captivity or was abandoned on the highway.

A small-town mayor who once ordered police to shoot to kill stray dogs and shoot to wound suspected burglars has now ordered them to "shoot to stop" anyone fighting in the city park. "They are to shoot from the waist down only," Mayor B. A. Johnson said after weekend fighting between youths in the rural community's 12-acre park. "We're going to fix it so decent people can go to the park."

A Bengal tiger was shot and killed on Interstate 75 as it charged law enforcement officers who had hoped to tranquilize it, authorities said. The animal, weighing between 250 and 400 pounds, was shot Sunday night about two hours after it was first spotted. Authorities said they did not know where the tiger came from but speculated that it either escaped from captivity or was abandoned on the highway.