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Scared Police 'Snitch' To Sue
Pubdate: Sat, 28 Apr 2007
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (GA)
Copyright: 2007 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Contact: http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/letters/sendletter.html
Website: http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/28
Author: Beth Warren, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Kathryn+Johnston
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?246 (Policing - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States)
Kathryn Johnston Shooting
SCARED POLICE 'SNITCH' TO SUE
Drug Informant Exposed Cover-Up
Whoever said crime doesn't pay hasn't met Alexis White.
While others shuffle off to work to early morning desk jobs, White
has slept late and made a living buying drugs throughout the city as
a police informant.
That work, which netted White between $20,000 and $30,000 a year,
came to an abrupt halt in November when an elderly Atlanta woman was
fatally shot by police during a botched drug bust near White's
neighborhood. Narcotics officers asked White, 45, to lie to help them
with a cover-up, but he called authorities and exposed renegade cops.
Three officers were indicted this week in the case, and two have
pleaded guilty to killing 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston.
White plans to sue police and the city for his loss of income,
according to a notice his attorney, Fenn Little, hand-delivered
Friday to the offices of the mayor, city attorney, Municipal Court
clerk and police chief. But aside from his job, which can be
replaced, he's also suing because of his ever-present fear, which
can't be erased.
White has been officially outed as an informant, more commonly called
a "snitch" or "rat." He feels this makes him Public Enemy No. 1 for
street thugs and some police officers. His photo has been in the
newspaper and he's been interviewed on television.
"The word 'scared' doesn't even cover it," White said Friday during a
telephone interview from an undisclosed location. "It's crazy. Nightmares."
White, in federal protective custody, has been hiding out in a budget
motel for the past five months while the FBI continues to investigate
Atlanta Police's narcotics unit. Due to safety concerns, White has
barely seen his mother, who lives in East Atlanta, or his wife and
7-year-old girl.
"They've ruined Alexis' life," his attorney said. "He can't come back
to Atlanta. We don't know how many cops are involved in this."
In one of the police force's biggest scandals in recent history, two
narcotics officers admitted in federal court Thursday that they lied
to a judge to get a no-knock warrant, permission to burst into a
suspect's home without warning.
Officers Gregg Junnier and Jason R. Smith claimed White had bought
drugs inside the house as they waited outside. But when a team of
officers forced their way into the home, instead of drugs, they only
found frightened and confused elderly homeowner, Kathryn Johnston,
who died in a shootout with police.
Smith handcuffed Johnston, who lay on her floor bleeding to death
before he planted drugs in her basement.
Smith quickly called White, telling him to memorize a version of
events agreed upon by the officers involved. The next day, two other
officers picked up White close to White's house in a patrol car and
drove around telling him what he was to say.
But White refused.
He tried to open the car door, but it was locked. He said the
officers held him against his will for two hours, threatening him if
he didn't agree to tell the stream of lies. Fearful they'd kill him,
White was finally able to open the car door, rolling down the window
and pulling on the door handle. He then jumped out and ran to a
crowded public place, hiding nearby until a federal agent came to pick him up.
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