Piedmont Park hanging referred to FBI

[npk]

Source: AJC

The case of a black man found hanging from a tree in Piedmont Park has been referred to the FBI, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said. Reed’s statement was issued Thursday afternoon, hours after social media users expressed outrage about the Atlanta Police Department’s contention the scene was consistent with a suicide. An autopsy has not been performed.

Piedmont Park became a trending topic on Twitter, where some users called the death “another modern-day lynching.”
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of a young man’s life last night in Piedmont Park,” Reed said. “This disturbing event demands our full attention. The Atlanta Police Department (APD) is conducting a robust investigation into his death and I have asked to receive regular briefings on the status of the investigation.”

Officers were called to the Charles Allen entrance of the park just before 5 a.m. Thursday and discovered a man’s body hanging from a tree by a rope, police spokesman Donald Hannah said.

Emergency officials arrived on the scene and pronounced the man dead, he said.

“There were no discernible signs of a struggle or foul play,” Hannah said. A “Fulton County medical examiner concurred that the death was consistent with a suicide.”



Read more: http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/police-body-found-in-piedmont-park-a-suicide-victi/nrtJq/

[uhnope]

1. please let this thread continue with dignity w/o jumping to conclusions

as happens far too often.

There have been similar cases to this where conclusions were jumped to, but then suicide turned out to be the cause.

A POC friend of mine committed suicide like this last year.

[Stonepounder]

2. I agree, this is obviously not a rush to judgement sort of thing.

We know way too little at this point.

[longship]

3. "No discernible signs of ... foul play"

One wonders if they mean other than the hanging.

It reminds me of a Joe Nickell lesson on critical thinking.

Two cops come onto a scene of a shooting. A man lies dead. The junior cop looks things over, shakes his head, and says, "Sergeant, this is horrible."

The sergeant responds, "Yes, I know. Looks like a suicide. Write it up as a suicide."

Shocked, the junior cop says, "But the guy was shot four times in the back!"

To which the sergeant responds, "Yes! It's a particular serious case of suicide."

[Igel]

4. Suicide is like that.

The victim is the victimizer. But "foul play" usually involves a person being fouled by another, not reflexive foul self-play.

If he didn't commit suicide, then there'll be some evidence, if they were careful at the scene. Hairs, footprints, something. Maybe there'll be a note or somebody will come forward about what he said. Otherwise, some will be stuck with the uncomfortable position of living by faith and not by sight. They'll believe that the lack of evidence is all a conspiracy by officials and police or by a super-expert killer and that it was murder, mostly because they're not ready for the truth. Wouldn't be the first time.