ATLANTA — The death of an Atlanta church deacon, who died after being tased by a police officer, has been ruled a homicide, according to a report from the Fulton County Medical Examiner.
Johnny Hollman, 62, died due to the shock from a Taser, which sent him into Cardiac Dysrhythmia, the autopsy report revealed.
In the report, the medical examiner said after reviewing the bodycam video from Hollman's deadly traffic stop -- which has not been made public -- and discussing the circumstances surrounding his death with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, it was determined that the deacon was unresponsive from the time the Taser was deployed.
The report also stated several contributing medical factors to Hollman's death including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes. However, the autopsy revealed Hollman's primary cause of death was from a stun gun during a physical confrontation with law enforcement.
"Those results confirm what we felt all along and what Anitra Hollman knew along that her (father's) death was not accidental," Harold Spence, an attorney and partner at Davis Bozeman Johnson Law who is representing the Hollman family said.
Hollman's daughter who is still demanding the body camera footage be released said the report just reinforces her belief.
"You know, when you hear something, you can imagine like what's happening," she said. "But to actually, you know, witness it you know the piece from the bodycam. Now we get the results back from the autopsy. Again, it confirms what I already knew."
Anitra was on the phone with her father just before the altercation with the officer. Hollman placed the phone down and never disconnected so she heard the entire altercation.
Earlier this week, the Atlanta City Council voted to urge the Atlanta Police Department to release the officer's bodycam video from the traffic stop on the night of Aug. 10.
Spence responded to Atlanta Police and the GBI still not releasing the video.
"It's impossible to imagine how releasing this video after the two witnesses who exist have already been interviewed and (talked) with the GBI would in any way hamper the GBI investigation," Spence explained.
RELATED: Atlanta City Council vote to urge APD to release body camera video from deacon's deadly traffic stop
On that night, Hollman was driving along Cunningham Place in southwest Atlanta, when he got into an accident and he called the police.
During the encounter with police, an officer determined Hollman was at fault for the crash and attempted to issue him a traffic citation. The GBI previously said Hollman became "non-compliant" when the officer attempted to take him into custody. A Taser was then deployed as Hollman continued to resist arrest, the GBI said.
Atlanta Police previously described the encounter as "several minutes of struggling" between the deacon and the arresting officer. Hollman became unresponsive shortly after and EMS was called to respond.
Hollman was taken to Grady Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Aug. 11 shortly before 1 a.m., the medical examiner's report stated.
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Attorney Mawuli Davis, who represents the family of Hollman, has refuted the claims that Hollman was at fault for the crash. Davis previously said Hollman had requested the police officer to call his supervisor.
"Instead of giving him a Sergeant, this officer told him he was going to arrest him for not signing the ticket," Davis previously said after he and Hollman's family viewed the officer's bodycam video.
Hollman's daughter Anitra Hollman was on the phone with her father that night and heard it all unfold -- in her father's final moments.
"I’m telling them 'Y'all killed my daddy, y'all killed my daddy'... I heard it, I heard, it was on the phone," Anitra previously said.
Both the GBI and APD have ongoing investigations into Hollman's death.
Atlanta Police said earlier this week they had been directed not to release the bodycam video of Hollman's death until the investigations are finished. You can read APD's statement below:
The body camera footage of the incident involving Mr. Hollman is part of a pending homicide investigation, of which the investigative bodies have directed the City not to release until the investigation is closed, as well as a pending administrative investigation. We all want justice, and in order for there to be a just outcome, there are policies and procedures in place to ensure a proper and thorough investigation as well as due process in the upcoming administrative hearing.
The Department will share the results of both the GBI and the APD investigations into the death of Mr. Hollman upon their conclusions.
Our thoughts are with the Hollman family.
The Hollman family and their attorneys are expected to meet with the District Attorney on Monday to discuss the autopsy results along with the evidence and body camera footage.