Two Reed Campaign Staffers Car-jacked
Two members of the Kasim Reed for Mayor campaign were carjacked at gunpoint Monday night outside the Reed campaign headquarters on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard in the West End.
According to a campaign press release, Deputy Field Director Tyler Pryor and Monique Hennagan, a canvasser and Olympic Gold Medalist, were walking to her black Infiniti G35 around 8:15 p.m. when an armed man approached.
The suspect, cloaked in a green hooded sweatshirt and red bandana, demanded the two drop their keys and back away. Pryor and Hennagan dropped their keys and ran to a nearby Wendy’s where they called police.
The suspect stole the vehicle and the staffers described the assailant as an African-American male in his early twenties who stood between 5′8″ and 5′11″ and weighed around 170 pounds.
Neither Pryor nor Hennagan were harmed. Police suspect the incident may have been part of a gang initiation.
Reed, who has made public safety a cornerstone of his mayoral campaign, issued the following statement this afternoon:
“More than anything, I am grateful for the safety of my friends. This incident easily could have been a tragedy. My resolve could not be stronger to take back Atlanta’s streets from gangs and violent criminals. A line in the sand has been drawn. This is yet another reminder that we must turn back the tide of violence facing our city,” said Sen. Reed. “The gangs are going to reform their ways, leave this city immediately, or have the full weight and resources of local law enforcement and the criminal justice system brought down on them. Enough is enough. This continued threat to our safety will not be tolerated.”
Police are asking citizens to be on the lookout for the suspect and the vehicle with license plate number ATQ 6329. Anyone with knowledge can call the Atlanta Police Department’s Zone 4 Investigation Unit at 404-472-3708.
This is the second carjacking to affect an candidate for Atlanta office this year. Three armed men carjacked Councilmember Ceasar Mitchell, a candidate for council president, on July 25 outside his mother’s home in Washington Park.
The three assailants got away with Mitchell’s 2003 Ford Expedition but police recovered the vehicle later that night less than a mile away at the corner of Boone and Lowery Boulevards. Mitchell was not harmed.
UPDATE Wednesday 4:56 p.m.:
It appears police have recovered the stolen vehicle. The Reed campaign released this statement from the candidate in the last half hour:
I am pleased to inform the many who have expressed concern that Monique and Tyler are in improving spirits after their violent encounter with an armed carjacker Monday night. Additionally, Monique’s car has been recovered by the Atlanta Police Department. I want to commend these officers for their responsiveness and the outstanding work they have done on this case. Monique and Tyler shared their story with the media yesterday because they felt it necessary to shine an even greater light on the public safety crisis in Atlanta. The random nature of this offense, and hundreds of others in our city, underscores an intolerable rise in gang violence and the urgent need for us to significantly expand our police presence. I have called for this strengthening of the force during the entire campaign. I am the only candidate in the race with a comprehensive plan to fight the escalation in gang violence, improve community policing and save Atlanta’s at risk youth. If I am elected Mayor, these will be the first issues I tackle because we must immediately secure our communities.