Man arrested while protesting deadly Buckhead steakhouse 2022 shooting involving police
ATLANTA - A man protesting the 2022 Atlanta police officer-involved shooting death of Nygil Cullins on Friday was arrested.
Police said the man, who has not been identified, was standing in the roadway.
Video shared with FOX 5 Atlanta does show the man standing in the street. The man then walks away from an approaching officer with his hands up. The officer appears to try to get the man to put his hands behind his back, but the man turns his body away from the officer before being taken to the ground.
Atlanta police confirmed the man was placed in custody.
Protester arrested outside Fogo de Chao in Buckhead during Nygil Cullins protest.
PREVIOUS STORY: Buckhead steakhouse 2022 shooting: APD defends response at family, friends protests
Family, friends protest Nygil Cullins' Fogo de Chão shooting
Family, friends and supporters of Nygil Cullins gathered Friday outside the Buckhead restaurant where he was killed by Atlanta police in 2022. The demonstration came days after the Atlanta Police Department released the 911 calls and surveillance video from the incident.
They blocked traffic on Piedmont Road, chanting "Justice for Nygil Cullins." They said they wanted accountability to be taken.
Body cam footage released two years after the incident showed Cullins at the bar of Fogo de Chão, raising his hands when first confronted by the police. According to his family, police unnecessarily escalated the situation by using a Taser on Cullins after he went to the ground.
During a virtual press conference, FOX 5 asked Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum if the officers acted according to their training and protocols.
"This is a very chaotic situation with an erratic individual with a handgun in a restaurant," Schierbaum responded. "We have reviewed it beginning to end and we see that everything was, in fact, appropriate from our vantage point."
Atlanta police chief on Nygil Cullins shooting
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum is standing by his officers after a deadly encounter at a Brazilian steakhouse in Buckhead in 2022. Family of Nygil Cullins say he was suffering from a mental health episode and say the use of a Taser escalated the situation leading to his death. The chief held a press conference on June 14, 2024 to give his take on the video.
APD presented a slowed-down version of the video, which appears to show Cullins reaching for his gun before being tased. The video also shows that after Cullins shot a security guard who had tackled him, officers shot Cullins again when he appeared to reach for his gun a second time.
Nygil Cullins wrongful death lawsuit
Cullins' family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city, restaurant, and others for Nygil's death.
PREVIOUS STORY: Parents of man shot, killed by Atlanta police at Buckhead restaurant demand justice
Nygil's mother said he was suffering from mental health issues, and she had a facility for him to get help, but the transport they arranged that night showed up too late.
"How did we get to the point where Nygil is being tackled by security, how did we get to the point where he's being tased when he didn't do anything wrong and now, he's scared, and he believes he's running for his life," Cullins' family Attorney Leif Howard explained.