The councilwoman who is serving as mayor pro tem following Khalid Kamau's arrest is one of five members who filed suit against him earlier this year.

Khalid Kamau, mayor of the City of South Fulton, was charged with criminal trespassing and first-degree burglary. He was released the same day on $11,000 in surety bonds.

The councilwoman who is serving as mayor pro tem following Khalid Kamau’s arrest is one of five members who filed suit against him earlier this year.

  • wagesj45@kbin.social
    16·
    1 year ago

    Really need more information to make any kind of call. On the one hand, I’m reluctant to believe that a mayor just broke into someone’s home for some petty theft. On the other hand, I’m also pretty suspect of any politician that claims that God is using them and their “persecution.” What is this beef between the mayor and the council? Did the council have something to do with the trespassing/burglary charges? Like wtf is this story.

    • SomeoneElse@lemmy.world
      9·
      1 year ago

      From the New York post so make of it what you will:

      The mayor told officers that he was on his way to a dog park when he stopped by the house, claiming it was his dream home and that he had hopes of purchasing it one day, according to the police report.

      Kamau admitted to police that he was aware he was trespassing on the homeowner’s property, despite telling FOX 5 Atlanta he believed the home was “abandoned.”

      The homeowner, who has not been publicly identified, said he saw the mayor walk up his driveway and approach his lake house when he rushed to get dressed and called police from inside his truck.

      The owner of the home then approached Kamau and held him at gunpoint until police arrived, warning the mayor to stay put, the report states.

      • wagesj45@kbin.social
        11·
        1 year ago

        Georgia sounds like a wild fuckin’ place to live. Was the mayor actually inside the home, I wonder? It doesn’t really say. And why do they think he had intent to steal anything?

        I use question marks, but really we can’t know until more info comes out.

        • SomeoneElse@lemmy.world
          17·
          1 year ago

          I read it as he was outside. He walked up the driveway and the homeowner decided to grab his gun, call the police and detain him until they arrived. As a Brit the thought of someone holding me at gunpoint because I walked up their driveway is absolutely terrifying.

            • SomeoneElse@lemmy.world
              3·
              1 year ago

              Just seeing a gun irl - usually only at the airport - makes me physically recoil. They’re just so rare here. I hate that you’re right about him not being shot being news worthy, a black man trespassing… Does Georgia have stand your ground laws where you can just shoot people if you’re scared of them?

              • kuontom@kbin.socialOP
                7·
                1 year ago

                Georgia has a no duty to retreat law where you can use deadly force against someone who invades your home and threatens you/your property, without trying to escape first. You can’t shoot someone if you were just scared of them though, at least on paper. There has to be an imminent threat. But yes with the incident involving 1. a black man, 2. trespassing, 3. Georgia… might get away with murder if you hire a ‘good’ lawyer.

                  • keeb420@kbin.social
                    4·
                    1 year ago

                    and by good lawyer he means one thats not gonna release damming video of you essentially lynching a black man thinking itll be exculpatory.

    • kuontom@kbin.socialOP
      6·
      1 year ago

      What is this beef between the mayor and the council?

      From an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article

      Five of the seven members of South Fulton’s city council sued to throw Mayor Khalid Kamau out of office — in part, for allegedly recording closed-door executive sessions for his “personal benefit.” The 98-page lawsuit says Kamau’s conduct prevents the council from effectively governing. During executive session at a November 2022 meeting, council members discovered Kamau was recording it on a cell phone, the suit says. During a Facebook Live broadcast in December, Kamau said he would continue to do so and release those discussions to the public. He has since refused to stop recording executive sessions and further threatened to use the recordings to sue the City Council and or its members, according to the filing.

      In addition to seeking Kamau’s removal from office, council members want an injunction or restraining order to keep him from recording executive sessions and making those discussions public. “To be clear, the City Council has only ever used its executive sessions as authorized by the Georgia Open Meetings Act, which makes it unclear how, or why, the Mayor would seek to use these recordings in a lawsuit against the City Council,” the request says.

      Georgia law allows public officials to discuss property transactions, potential litigation and employee matters in private. Council members say they can’t effectively do so under the threat of being recorded. “In short, the Council Members are being held hostage by the Mayor; forced to choose between either betraying the City’s confidence and allowing its confidential information to be recorded and disclosed, or simply not addressing these important matters at all,” the suit says.

      Did the council have something to do with the trespassing/burglary charges?

      No, but the majority of the council members want him removed from office, and the person taking over for now is one of those members. So I assume they’re happy. Good ol’ political drama

      • fades@beehaw.org
        5·
        1 year ago

        They got mad because he values transparency for the public, which results in them unable to govern? Lol

        We can’t govern if you tell them what we’re trying to do!

        I’m sure there is more nuance but lol. Pathetic from the top to the bottom

        • keeb420@kbin.social
          2·
          1 year ago

          if theyre talking about private matters unrelated to city governance and hes threatening to release that, they might have a case. but if they are up in arms about hi m recording and potentially releasing discussions relating to the job itself, it makes them have an appearance of guilt.