[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/a-man-tackled-and-injured-by-atlanta-pd-during-a-traffic-stop\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/a-man-tackled-and-injured-by-atlanta-pd-during-a-traffic-stop\/","headline":"A Man Tackled and Injured by Atlanta Police Department During a Traffic Stop","name":"A Man Tackled and Injured by Atlanta Police Department During a Traffic Stop","description":"In a world that is currently marked by political turmoil and social injustice, several instances of police brutality are now coming to light and floating to the surface, revealing deeply rooted systemic issues that demand actionable change. Though cases of police brutality are arising from across the country, a recent case in Atlanta hits deeply… Continue reading A Man Tackled and Injured by Atlanta Police Department During a Traffic Stop<\/span><\/a>","datePublished":"2020-08-28","dateModified":"2026-04-17","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/author\/butler\/#Person","name":"Jeb Butler","url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/author\/butler\/","identifier":9,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f5a02bc71d91db5fc8645f129c4424ce6ef7af7e24fe54f4a85315a9dd28f317?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f5a02bc71d91db5fc8645f129c4424ce6ef7af7e24fe54f4a85315a9dd28f317?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Butler Kahn","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Butler-Law-Firm-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Butler-Law-Firm-Logo.png","width":210,"height":93}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/man-tackled-and-injured-by-atlanta-police.jpg","url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/man-tackled-and-injured-by-atlanta-police.jpg","height":4774,"width":7157},"url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/a-man-tackled-and-injured-by-atlanta-pd-during-a-traffic-stop\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tdUZifj3xh0#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tdUZifj3xh0","name":"Police Brutality: Police Body Camera Videos & Tyler Griffin","description":"When a police officer puts on a badge, he puts on power. He puts on the power to use force against others, the power to arrest fellow citizens, and the power to put people behind bars. And he puts on a shield, because while he can use force against others, others cannot use force against him.\n\nWith that power comes responsibility. It is the responsibility to protect and serve, the responsibility to use force only when necessary, and the responsibility to keep others safe, not bring them to harm.\n\nMost officers take that responsibility seriously. These officers did not.\n\nOur firm is proud to represent Tyler Griffin in his claims against Defendant Donald Vickers, Defendant Matthew Abad, and the Atlanta Police Department. We are honored that Tyler has asked us to play a role in bringing about change that is long overdue.\n\nFor more about this case, see https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/tyler-griffin-excessive-force-atlanta-police\/.\n\nAs Pastor Martin Niem\u00f6ller wrote in 1946, after the fall of the Third Reich:\n\nFirst they came for the Communists\nAnd I did not speak out\nBecause I was not a Communist\n\nThen they came for the Socialists\nAnd I did not speak out\nBecause I was not a Socialist\n\nThen they came for the trade unionists\nAnd I did not speak out\nBecause I was not a trade unionist\n\nThen they came for the Jews\nAnd I did not speak out\nBecause I was not a Jew\n\nThen they came for me\nAnd there was no one left\nTo speak out for me.\n\n\nWe hope people of all colors and creeds watch this video and join in standing against this kind of misconduct. We are all in this together.\n\nFor more about who we are and what we do, visit https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/tdUZifj3xh0\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/tdUZifj3xh0\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/tdUZifj3xh0\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/tdUZifj3xh0\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/tdUZifj3xh0\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2020-06-12T17:51:51+00:00","duration":"PT3M8S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tdUZifj3xh0","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCeMYGr94Sf4LpYwIcO3P2Qw#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCeMYGr94Sf4LpYwIcO3P2Qw","name":"Butler Kahn","description":"We help people and families.\n\nOur firm specializes in personal injury and wrongful death cases. We are based in Atlanta, Georgia. We handle cases across Georgia and, for certain types of cases, all across the country.\n\nTOP-QUALITY LEGAL WORK. We do the work that lots of law firms skip. We track down witnesses, dig into the evidence, and prepare intensely for every deposition, trial, and hearing. We take a small number of cases so that we can devote our full attention to the clients we represent.\n\nPERSONAL SERVICE. If you hire us, you get us. You won't get blocked by a receptionist or leave unreturned messages. If you want to speak with your lawyer, you can.\n\nDOING WHAT WE SAY WE'LL DO. Some law firms make big promises at the beginning, then don\u2019t follow through. We shoot straight \u2013 when we tell you something about your case, good or bad, we mean it. No fake promises.\n\nButler Kahn\n10 Lenox Pointe\nAtlanta, GA 30324\n678-940-1444\n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/NTOsbNEALVOnRbUCg7jUzYGcC4kNKsUTEVHm5TtiTQdLlfFKksLTnmiZG_t6zDG_e4ygtnva=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tdUZifj3xh0#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tdUZifj3xh0#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tdUZifj3xh0&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tdUZifj3xh0#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":132449}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tdUZifj3xh0#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":916}]},"about":["Liability"],"wordCount":1262,"articleBody":"In a world that is currently marked by political turmoil and social injustice, several instances of police brutality are now coming to light and floating to the surface, revealing deeply rooted systemic issues that demand actionable change.Though cases of police brutality are arising from across the country, a recent case in Atlanta hits deeply close to home, reminding us all that police brutality is not just something we hear about on the news. Rather, police brutality is an issue that is consistently plaguing our society.On April 15, 2019, a young man named Tyler Griffin was pulled over for what was referred to as a routine traffic stop for \u201creckless driving\u201d by officers representing the Atlanta Police Department.But this traffic stop was anything but routine as it quickly escalated with a pistol being pointed at Griffin, allegations of Griffin pushing an officer, and most shockingly, an officer running at Griffin, tackling him, and severely breaking Griffin\u2019s ankle. Griffin was then forced to walk on his broken ankle, worsening the injury. The officers then spent several minutes mocking Griffin and laughing at Griffin when Griffin expressed severe pain while walking.The arrest, attack, and subsequent mockery that forced Griffin to walk on an injured (severely broken) ankle was recorded via an officer\u2019s body camera and was released\u00a0via a CBS46\u2019s news story.At Butler Kahn, we stand with Tyler Griffin. Two of our attorneys, Jeb Butler and Matt Kahn, are representing Griffin and filed a police brutality case against the Atlanta Police Department, Officer Donald Vickers, and Officer Matthew Abad on Monday, June 15, 2020.Griffin, a young, African American man told Butler Kahn that this was a situation he never expected or wanted to be in. \u201cI don\u2019t like public attention,\u201d Griffin said, \u201cbut I don\u2019t want this to happen to anyone else, so I\u2019m telling my story.\u201dGriffin said he grew up believing that if \u201cyou cooperated with officers, everything would be okay.\u201d Griffin believes that most officers are good people doing their jobs, but what happened to him is unquestionably unacceptable. His story is one that needs to be told and his case is one that needs to be heard to effect change.\u201cI want change,\u201d said Griffin. \u201cWe all want change. Enough is enough. But I want peaceful change. I don\u2019t want the pain that I\u2019ve been going through to be avenged by pain on others. If people protect, I hope they protest peacefully,\u201d he said.The Traffic Stop That Turned Violent: What Happened to Tyler GriffinWhen Tyler Griffin realized he was being followed, he was not aware that it was the Atlanta Police Department. According to Griffin and the body camera footage, officers in an unmarked car\u2014without lights or sirens\u2014began following him. In an effort to test if he was being followed, Griffin pulled into a private drive.Police officers alleged that in the time they followed Griffin, he committed several traffic violations, alleging the reason for pulling Griffin over was Griffin\u2019s \u201creckless driving.\u201d At the time of this article\u2019s publication, the Atlanta Police Department has not produced any dash camera video displaying the alleged traffic infractions claimed by the officers.What happened next\u00a0can be seen here.Atlanta Police Department officers Donald Vickers and Matthew Abad were the unmarked car that followed Griffin. Abad exited the unmarked car, approached Griffin on foot, and, with pistol drawn, demanded Griffin get out of his car.Griffin, appearing confused, reacted slowly, but eventually exited his vehicle and stood beside it.\u00a0Abad grabbed Griffin\u2019s\u00a0shirt, knocking him off balance. Griffin, shrugging away from his grasp to regain balance, steadied himself. He stood there for several seconds answering a few of Officer Abad\u2019s questions.Some seconds later, Officer Vickers can be seen sprinting toward Griffin, aggressively tackling him, and taking him to the ground. The tackle severely broke Griffin\u2019s ankle.Still, officers forced Griffin to walk on his broken ankle despite shrieks of pain, panic, and begging (which is shown clearly in the bodycam footage). Officers openly mocked Griffin. Vickers said, \u201cwe\u2019re laughing because you fell pretty hard after pushing an officer man, I find that funny man.\u201dLater, when Griffin cried out in pain from being forced to walk on his broken ankle, Vickers added, \u201cyou\u2019re such a little girl right now.\u201dWhen Griffin did eventually get to the hospital for treatment, doctors had to perform an emergency surgery known as an Open Reduction Internal Fixation. Griffin\u2019s foot was sliced open from arch to ankle in order to install a metal plate and ten screws.The Problem: Accountability, Brutality, and Past IncidentsUnfortunately, Griffin\u2019s experience was not a one-off\u2014this experience is something people endure often, even in this specific circumstance. Officer Vickers has a reported history of excessive force violations.In 2010, while off-duty from the Atlanta Police Department, Vickers was arrested for pointing a loaded assault rifle at three African American males at Underground Atlanta.\u00a0 In 2011, Vickers was written up for having sprayed an African American arrestee with pepper spray, then kicked him in the back several times while he was facing in the other direction.Jeb Butler, one of the attorneys representing Griffin, recognizes that police officers on a \u201cpower trip,\u201d like Vickers, are the problem.\u201cHe\u2019s supposed to protect and serve,\u201d Butler said, \u201cnot act like he\u2019s on WWE.\u201dAt the time of this article\u2019s publication, neither of Griffin\u2019s attorneys had learned whether or not APD fired or otherwise disciplined these officers. \u201cWe requested this information over six months ago, and they\u2019re required to provide it under Georgia\u2019s Open Records Act,\u201d said Kahn.\u00a0 \u201cBut they haven\u2019t disclosed it.\u201dWhen a police officer swears an oath and dons a badge, they are sworn to protect citizens. But they also put on power\u2014power that changes them from a mere citizen to someone who can put people behind bars, use force, and ensure others cannot be allowed to use force against them.With that power comes a strict responsibility to protect, serve, and use force only when legally necessary\u2014it is their job to bring people to justice, keep other safe, and not bring more people to harm.Powerful, but peaceful change\u2014it is what Tyler Griffin wants, it is what the world demands, and it is what every human being deserves. At Butler Kahn, we stand by the need for powerful, peaceful change that does more than offer thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. We are committed to standing with Tyler, to represent him in a case where he was thoroughly wronged, mistreated, and injured.If you or someone you know has been the victim of a police brutality crime, feel you need representation, or have questions about how Butler Kahn can help you, please reach out. Our experienced attorneys are well-versed in police brutality issues, are dedicated to demanding justice, and will stop at nothing to ensure that powerful, peaceful change is mandated.We are all in this together. We are all looking for that same change that Tyler Griffin is looking for. We stand against this type of police misconduct and we stand with those that have endured it for far too long.Need an attorney\u2019s help?\u00a0Contact Butler Kahn, use our live chat feature on our site, or give us a call at 678-940-1444. Our competent, compassionate, and highly professional team of attorneys is here to help you, demand justice, and ensure that, step-by-step, we are conquering these social injustices. 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