Three Marietta police officers were placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday after a drug arrest suspect died while in police custody. The man's family claimed that officers fatally beat their son. Officials at Kennestone Hospital declared 19-year-old Black man, Paul Johnson dead Tuesday night after receiving him from police custody. The incident began when officers confronted Johnson and three other suspects who were allegedly dealing drugs in front of the Glenbrooke Apartments. Johnson got into an altercation with two of the officers, police said. One man arrested, Simon Riley said that police officers continued to beat Johnson after he was on the ground. One officer had Johnson in a choke hold after he was in handcuffs. Witnesses said that someone took pictures during the altercation, but that police destroyed the camera. Marietta police officials denied those claims. Members of Paul Johnson's famly said they want to know why he wasn't immediately hospitalized. Emergency medical workers checked Johnson at the apartments and declared him to be OK after his arrest, said Brian Marshall, a police spokesman. About 45 minutes later, paramedics were called to police headquarters after a watch commander noticed that Johnson appeared to be ill while in a holding cell, Marshall said. "The police put him into the cell and he collapsed. He was complaining that something was hurting him. He complained to the police that his throat was hurting him and he couldn't breathe," said Dawn Jackson, Johnson's mother.[more
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