ATLANTA – A Kennebunkport man and four other people have been arrested and charged with domestic terrorism and other crimes in connection with an alleged violent disturbance Tuesday, Dec. 13, at the site of the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in DeKalb.
Francis Carroll, 22, of Kennebunkport is charged with domestic terrorism, aggravated assault, interference with government property, and criminal trespass. Carroll is a 2018 graduate of Kennebunk High School. The four others charged are Nicholas D. Olson, 25, of Bennington, Nebraska, who faces domestic terrorism, aggravated assault, and interference with government property charges; Serena Hertel, 25, of California, and Decatur, Georgia, charged with domestic terrorism, aggravated assault, and criminal trespass; and Leonard Vioselle, 20, of Macon, Georgia, and Arieon Robinson, 22, of Wisconsin and Atlanta, who each face domestic terrorism and criminal trespass charges.
DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston, in a news release issued Thursday, Dec. 15, said the five people charged made their first court appearance Dec. 15 and were ordered held in custody without bail at the DeKalb County Jail.
“Barricades were illegally constructed and placed at the location, blocking entrances to the site,” said Boston. “During an attempt to remove these barricades, DeKalb County firefighters, Atlanta Police Department officers and a patrol car were attacked with rocks and incendiary weapons.”
Several people allegedly threw rocks at police cars and attacked EMTs outside the neighboring fire stations with rocks and bottles, according to a news release issued by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which was part of a joint operation that also included DeKalb County Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies.
The training center site has been the subject of various incidents over the past several months. Protesters have set up treehouses in the forest since June in an attempt to block construction of the $90 million facility.
“I strongly believe in the right to peacefully protest for what one believes is right and just,” said Boston. “However, I draw the line at violence, destruction of property, and threatening and causing harm to others. My office will always stand up to protect the citizens of DeKalb County. The alleged acts of violence at the training facility site put the public in grave danger and will not be tolerated.”
A lease agreement with the Atlanta Police Foundation to build a public safety training campus on city-owned property was passed by the Atlanta City Council in September 2021. The property is the site of the former Atlanta prison farm, and the Atlanta Police Department operates a firing range on the property.
“The Atlanta Police Foundation intends to fund and build a state-of-the-art facility on 85 acres and preserve the remaining portion of the 265-acres property as greenspace, which is currently not accessible to the public,” according to a city news release issued at the September 2021 announcement. “The exterior land will feature passive recreation areas with minimal environmental impact to the nearby forest area. The campus will provide training to members of Atlanta Police Department, Atlanta Fire Rescue, and E911 to ensure best practices in public safety and police instruction.”
A group called Defend the Atlanta Forest has called on people to join them in opposition to the project. A June news release from the group said two “tree sits” had been built and occupied on the site of what they called “Cop City” and noted at that time that tree cutting to prepare the site for the building project was beginning.
Tree sitting has a decades-long history as a tactic of civil disobedience to slow or halt environmentally harmful construction projects, the Defend the Atlanta Forest news release stated.
In the June Defend the Atlanta Forest news release, one sitter said protesters were trying to stop the development of what was described as a police militarization facility and to stop the forest from being destroyed.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a tweet in support of the Dec. 13 arrests.
“We will not rest when it comes to bringing domestic terrorists to justice, and these arrests should serve as a strong reminder of that,” he said.
Boston said the investigation of the Dec. 13 incident, as well as previous alleged criminal acts that occurred at the site, is ongoing. She said criminal activity in protest of the training center has included property destruction, arson, and attacks against contractors and public safety officials approaching the site.
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