Police arrest 8 on site of planned Atlanta police facility

A banner hanging near the site occupied by opponents to the construction of a planned $90 million public safety training center, dubbed "Cop City" by opponents. Police arrested eight protestors at the site on Tuesday. (Rebecca Etter/WABE)

Atlanta police say at least eight people have been arrested at the site of a planned $90 million public safety training center that opponents have been occupying for months in an attempt to prevent construction.

Atlanta Police Department Assistant Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters Tuesday that some opponents threw rocks and what he said was a Molotov cocktail at officers who swarmed the property. In a news release, police said the Molotov cocktail caused a small fire that had to be extinguished and that later, another lit Molotov cocktail was thrown toward officers.

The property is owned by the city of Atlanta but is located in unincorporated DeKalb County just outside the city limits.
Schierbaum said charges included criminal trespass and obstruction of law enforcement officers.