Atlanta Police Chief Walks Tightrope As She Handles Protests

Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, in white shirt, speaks with media as protesters gather Friday in Atlanta in response to the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.

Mike Stewart / Associated Press

Atlanta’s police chief quickly condemned the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and acted swiftly when she determined some of her own officers used excessive force, but now she’s questioning whether the crackdown on her officers is going too far.

Chief Erika Shields fired two officers and benched three others involved in an incident with two college students who were caught in traffic during the protests Saturday night. But then a prosecutor announced criminal charges against six officers.

Shields said in a department-wide email Tuesday that she hadn’t expected the criminal charges and suggested that handling ongoing protests could be more difficult as a result.