atlanta news tagged interest

This story has been updated.

Atlanta, GA — Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari was involved in an “altercation” with an Oakland Cemetery security guard on Oct. 4.

Bakhtiari brought the incident to the public’s attention in a Facebook post she made on Oct. 10 to get ahead of an impending news story.

“I am incredibly disappointed to learn that local news will be approaching this story from only one side, and in defense of the aggressor rather than the group of women and AFAB [Assigned Female At Birth] people that he traumatized,” the councilmember said.

Bakhtiari said she was in the cemetery at sundown for a “surprise wedding engagement.”

“We were asked to leave by one security guard. As we began to pack our things, our otherwise happy celebration devolved as an unidentified man began approaching us in the dark, with no flashlight, shouting obscenities at the top of his voice,” she said. “I stepped forward to intervene on behalf of my friends, both to identify him and to protect them from his advance. I would never condone violence, but I do believe in standing my ground to protect those that I love.”

The guard was fired after the incident.

“I regret learning that this gentleman lost his job, and that the incident caused so much harm, especially when it all could have been avoided with advance communication within the contracted private security team,” Bakhtiari said in her Facebook post.

Decaturish media partner Atlanta News First broke the story and reported the guard is accusing Bakhtiari of abusing her power to get him fired. To read the full story, click here.

“She stood up and said, who the [expletive] is that? I said Dynamic Security,” the guard told Atlanta News First. “And this lady here, she put her hands on me. She was like, ‘I’m telling you, you don’t yell at me. You don’t yell at me. I’m a councilwoman. I’m going to have your job.’ And all of that. And then I was like, ‘Lady, get your hand out of my face.’ That’s when she pushed me.”

Atlanta Police provided Decaturish with the report about the altercation, categorized as a “miscellaneous non-crime incident.”

An officer responded to the cemetery around 8:40 p.m. The officer asked the security guard what happened.

“He advised that Oakland Cemetery was closed, and his director … told him that he heard female voices in the cemetery,” the police report says.

The guard said he checked it out but didn’t have his flashlight. He couldn’t see faces, but he saw lights. He said he began yelling, “pack it up, pack it up! It’s time to go.”

The guard said several women stood up and one, identified in the report as Bakhtiari, “put her hand in his face.”

“He stated that he told her to back up, and she then pushed him down,” the police report says. He alleges the councilmember “knocked his hat off and hit him across the forehead.”

The guard wasn’t injured and declined medical attention. He also said he didn’t want to press charges, according to the report.

ANF reported that the guard didn’t press charges because he didn’t think he would lose his job over the incident.

“I kind of had a little fear. Like, how am I going to go against the city?” he told ANF. “Of course she can pull strings like she did. I’m a regular security guard.”

Bakhtiari said she was not involved in the guard being fired.

A spokesperson for her office told ANF, “That’s just not the case, and there’s no mention of that anywhere in the police report. It is really unfortunate to learn that this individual was dismissed from his job; however, Councilmember Bakhtiari has neither the authority nor insight into this private company’s disciplinary actions.”

The police officer who responded to the altercation spoke to another security guard, who said he saw the security guard and Bakhtiari “exchanging words, going back and forth.”

The other guard said Bakhtiari pushed the guard she was arguing with, “and her friends began holding her back.” He also said he saw Bakhtiari knock the guard’s hat off.

Bakhtiari’s friends told police they were at the proposal celebration and having a picnic. They were taking photos at sunset and returned to their picnic when a different security guard told them the cemetery was closed at sunset. Bakhtiari’s friends said they “immediately” started to pack up and leave but had a lot of things to gather. It was getting dark when they heard the shouting coming toward them.

“They advised that they couldn’t see who it was because it was so dark,” the police report says. “They could just see a lit cigarette coming towards them. They said the male was walking very fast and was very aggressive telling them ‘to get the f*** out.’ They advised that they all then stood up and Ms.Liliana Bakhtiari stood out in front of them and told him that they were actively leaving and to stop yelling at them.”

Her friends said the guard “kept coming closer and they began yelling at each other.

“They advised that as they attempted to walk out, he was blocking the walkway,” the report says. “They stated that he was too close to his cigarette and it burned Ms. Liliana Bakhtiari.”

The councilmember told officers as she and her friends were packing up their picnic, “she heard a scream from the dark advising them to ‘get the f*** out of the park.'”

“She advised that it was very scary and she couldn’t tell if he was holding a gun or bat,” the report says, relaying Bakhtiari’s comments to the officer. “She stated that she immediately thought she was in danger and wanted to protect her friends, so she stood out in front of them.”

The officer concluded the report by saying, “Nothing further to report at this time.”

Bakhtiari encouraged the public to contact her with questions about the incident. She told Decaturish, “Everyone involved could have responded with better communication. This wedding proposal was arranged well in advance, and it’s truly disappointing that security was not properly notified.”

“When my friends and I were approached by an aggressive and unidentified man in the dark, I became scared and felt in danger,” she said. “I regret how the situation unfolded – it shouldn’t have happened – but I take accountability for my actions, and I hope that protocols prioritizing de-escalation are enacted.”

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