Georgia officer who arrested lawmaker compares her to Capitol insurrectionists

30 March 2021

The Georgia police officer at the center of State Rep. Park Cannon's (D-Ga.) highly publicized and controversial arrest claims he took action because he feared the possibility of an insurrection-style incident similar to what unfolded at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. However, many are pushing back against his claims while highlighting the stark differences between the two incidents.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, an incident report written by Lt. G.D Langford recalled the moments leading up to Cannon's arrest.Lt. G.D Langford recalled the moments leading up to Cannon's arrest. In the report, he wrote, "The events of January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol were in the back of my mind."

Langford claimed he concerned when a group of protesters assembled in the lobby outside of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's (R) office and "began to get louder as she was refusing to follow my commands." He said, "I didn't want the protestors to attempt to gain entry into a secure part of the Capitol."

The officer claimed he attempted to "de-escalate the situation" but many have expressed concern about the part of the footage that shows him grabbing Cannon's right wrist and handcuffing her as he and another officer forced her out of the building.

Langford added, "I believed Cannon's actions of obstructing law enforcement in front of agitated protestors to constitute a breach of the peace."

According to the publication, Langford's report also "includes a picture of a scuffed boot and what it says is bruising on Langford's right foot."

Currently, Cannon is facing two felony charges for allegedly obstructing law enforcement and disrupting a general assembly session. If convicted, Cannon could face up to five years behind bars. However, the Georgia Democratic Caucus is already calling for those charges to be dropped.

Griggs has also vowed to challenge Langford's account and fight the charges in court. "We're going to fight this case all the way to jury trial."

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