Supporters of Cornelius Taylor — the Black man who officials say was killed on Jan. 17 by a construction vehicle clearing an encampment of unhoused people in Atlanta’s Auburn Avenue neighborhood — are demanding city policy changes following his horrific demise.
Atlanta City Council member Liliana Bakhtiari introduced a resolution Thursday calling for officials to pause demolition of other camps while authorities review their procedures to ensure what happened to Taylor never occurs again.
Authorities, including the office of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, haven’t provided details about how Taylor died. Activists and clergy members working with Taylor’s family say he was crushed by a bulldozer clearing unhoused people’s tents on Old Wheat Street across from Ebenezer Baptist Church, the house of worship once led by Martin Luther King Jr. They attempted to hand deliver a letter to Dickens’ office Thursday afternoon, but were denied access by several Atlanta Police officers who blocked their path.