Erika Shields

Erika Shields is an American law enforcement officer who served as the 24th Chief of Police of Atlanta from 2016 to 2020. Shields resigned in June 2020 after the killing of Rayshard Brooks.

Erika Shields
24th Atlanta Chief of Police
In office
December 28, 2016 – June 13, 2020
MayorKasim Reed
Keisha Lance Bottoms
Preceded byGeorge N. Turner
Succeeded byRodney Bryant (interim)
Personal details
BornUpstate New York, U.S.
Alma mater

Early life and education

Shields is a native of Upstate New York.[1] She earned a bachelor of arts degree in international studies from Webster University and a master's degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University.[2]

Career

Before joining the agency as a patrol officer in 1995, Chief Shields worked as a stockbroker in Boston.[3][4] She was the second woman to lead the Atlanta Police Department, and the first openly gay person to do so.[4]

On December 1, 2016, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced that he had selected Shields to succeed Chief George N. Turner, who was retiring.[5]

On June 13, 2020, amid nationwide protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, Shields resigned after a video went viral of an officer fatally shooting a black man, Rayshard Brooks, who allegedly resisted arrest.[6][7][8][9]

References
  1. Christian Boone, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "For new Atlanta Police chief, challenges await". ajc. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  2. "Chief Erika Shields | Atlanta Police Department". www.atlantapd.org. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  3. "Atlanta Police Department : Chief Erika Shields". www.atlantapd.org. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  4. Reisigl, Joe (2017-05-30). "The Chief: Erika Shields wants to change the way Atlanta police tackle crime". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  5. Leon Stafford, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Deputy chief Erika Shields named Atlanta's 24th chief of police". ajc. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  6. Siegel, Rachel (June 13, 2020). "Atlanta police chief resigns after law enforcement fatally shoots black man". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  7. Osborne, Mark; Hoyos, Joshua (13 June 2020). "Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigns in wake of fatal shooting". ABC News. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  8. "Atlanta officer fired after fatal shooting of black man". AP NEWS. 2020-06-14. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  9. Browne, Malachy; Kelso, Christina; Marcolini, Barbara (2020-06-14). "How Rayshard Brooks Was Fatally Shot by the Atlanta Police". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-06-14.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.