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Box 7, Folder 17, Document 37
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i ‘
COMMUNITY RELATIGNS COMMISSION 1203 CITY HALL ATLANTA, GEORGIA
incidents which took plsc. in the Dixie Hills area June 17th thru
hy ‘NOTE: "The City of Atienta’Polics Department is investigating all of the
! ra June 20th."
July 12, 1967
ae jon
REPORT ON DIXIE HILLS EPISODE cor YOUR INFORMAT
A memo in the files of the Community Relations Commission, dated April 5, 1967
states "Mr, Charles Hart suggests that the Commission hold a hearing in the
Northwest area immediately = including, Troy Street area, Dixie Hills, Almond
Park, etc. He pointed out several problems in the area.
-. On. April 19th a meeting was held at Alien A. Me. E. Church, at which time
24 persons spoke, and some 15 more submitted written statements about
needs. (On May 4th, a meeting was held at Wilkes Chapel, in Perry Homes
area) The complaints included sewers; street paving; street signs; police
protection, "In Dixie Hills Plaza"; recreation; double session schools;
charges in public housing projects; rats; maintenance of apartments.
The individual complaints were referred to the appropriate departments
and the Commission was informed that an encouraging number had been
handled.
The major ones, of inadequate resources for young people would require
major resources and programs through the City Rarks and Recreation
Department or through the Board of Education.
On May 9th, the Center Hill - Grove Park Civic Association and the
CNAC for the West Central EOA center submitted requests to the Parks
Committee for 8 specific programs in the general area. On May 10th
same groups submitted to the Police Committee requests for development
of a Police Athletic Leagu®,
The Dixie Hills Shopping Center is in area of about one block by one-half
block, It is surrounded by apartment houses with little open space ---
a parking area for about 20 cars.
On the evening of Saturday, June 17th, a customer left the Flamingo Grill
at about 9:15 P, M. and was etanding on a corner in the plaza.[He was
drinking beer, | According to him, Eddie Wilkins,.wharwes. the one arreste2rs
"I was standing on the corner, had a can of beer and I'm old enough,
I'm over 213; then three security policemen from the Flamingo Grill, cams
up and told me to move on, He's got. a grudge against me; the security
guards said ‘You can't stand here on the corner' I said 'Why?' Then
he pushed me. (The security guard) Then we started to fight. And tha.
the city police came."
Eddie Wilkins' sister, Georgia Wilkins, was arrested later, He veri |
was* "Detective J. W. Bailey pulled me over and tried to handce.+
He -.anped me and I started to fight back. My Daddy told me it. |
powice take me on in and he would get me out. They put a a
tons cut brass knuckles, beat the boy and then started bea*: 27 an
stai.ast and back. I asked why they were arresting and hates: ae The
Negro officer told me to shut up! He said he had arrested =F for bad
language. I said they should arrest everybody then. I kept quiet so
they would'nt- beat me."
Page #2 Report on Dixie Hills Episode
During this period, a crowd gathered and some protested the arrests.
Another man was also arrested. A police officer said Miss Wilkins
was hitting at them with her pocketbook and cursing. She was arrested
on charges of an assualt on an officer, using obscene and vulgar language.
Her brother was arrested on a miscellaneous mischief charge. The third
person, Joseph Kendrick of Proctor Street, was charged with interfering
with an officer. They claim to have been beaten by the police in the car.
The crowd gathered. The police officer denied the charges against him,
saying that they were fighting and protesting.
There were no disturbances on Saturday night and no police cars in the
area. The incidents in the Dixie Hills area were sparked off as a result
of the fight with the security guards on Saturday. On Sunday afternoon
Stokley Carmichael and his SNCC companions were in the neighborhood.
After a swimming trip at Mozley Park, they were arrested for loitering.
It was reported by Howard Watson, a resident of the Dixie Hills area,
there were about 4 police cars patroling. He held a meeting at St.
doseph's Church on Verbena Street, N. W., with some residents of the
community to decide whether they should picket the shopping plaza.
The meeting was held at 3:00 P. . , shortly after Stokley Carmichael's
arrest. There were no incidents Sunday night.
Monday afternoon, a young man was shot by a police officer. The incident
was discribed by an eyewitness as follows: "Somebody threw a brick in
the shopping center and hit the window to a store, the burglar alarm went
off. A boy (the one who was shot) picked up a stick and started beating
on the alarm to try to make it stop, as they had seen policemen do. The
police drove up, one man got out of the car and came over to the boy and
told him to stop. The boy didn't stop. When the boy continued beating,
the policeman demanded again that he stop. When the boy continued beat-
ing, the policeman pushed him. The boy's friend suggested that he defend
himself. Then the boy retaliated by pushing the policeman back. They
started to séuffle. The boy pushed the policeman against his car and
backed away from him. The policeman pulled out his pistol and shot the
boy."
Marion Ward, 31 Shirley Place, gave this account of what happened Tues. night. He
said: "The Police Department got nasty with us last night after people
got shot. We tried to get police officers to help us out, he told us
to wait, we should have been in the house, to wait, they would get to us
when they could ----- Fellow was dead, little boy would have died ---
told me to pick fellow up and bring him to him --= fellow was already
dead --=- the fellow I went to was the person who did the shooting.
Police were scared to death, had shotguns. fellow who threw firebomb was
no where near us. Lady said 'We better go in the house’ when firebomb
was thrown, tried to get in the same door. I would know police officer
whe shat --- got a good look at him in light of bomb",
Page #3 Report on Dixie Hills Episode
The observations of Reginald Carter after Dixie Hills Rioting .
(Community Relations Steff)
I arrived into the area about 9:15 A. M., Tuesday, June 20th at
Verbena Street at the EOA West Central Neighborhood Service Center.
I saw the bulldozers and tractors uf the City of Atlanta grading
ground to be used for a play lot. The street cleaners were clearing
the streets. The sewers were being cleaned out and many of the city
officials were in the area giving directions and making plans about what
is to be done next about play lots. The area was without incident.
Later on in the evening, 10:15 P. M., when I arrived back into the area,
policemen were fully armed. I had heard that four (4) people were shot,
one fatally. The area was high in tension and several shots were fired
periodically.
I went to Grady Hospital in an effort to get an official report of the
incident and possibly ta talk to some of the injured. I was only able
to get a story of what happened from a news reporter. She reported:
"A Mr. Timothy Ross was fatally shot while sitting on a step at his
home; Marion Ward was shot between the eyes, his injury was not serious;
Catherine Duncan was shot in the hand while in her apartment. The
shooting resulted from a kid who threw,a fire bomb at a policeman. The
policeman got excited and started shooting". Reginald Rivers, age nine
(9) was shot in the side.
I returned to the area of Dixie Hills and heard that the Mayor had been
there fur a short while. I listened while Reverend Boone, Rush
Congregational Church, Reverend J. C. Ward, Hunter Hill Baptist Church,
Ben Perry, wWAOK, and Douglas Jackson who was shot by the police on the
evening before, was interviewed about the shooting of the afternoon.
I left the area about 12:15 A. M., there were no further incidents.
Wednesday morning: Mayor Allen rendered a 9 P.M. . @ A. M. curfew
under powers granted to him on Monday, and requested the Community
Relations Commission's Executive Committee to hold a meeting to hear
from residents of the area --- notes attached:
Upon recommendation of the local leaders and the Community Relations
Commission the Mayor extended the curfew to midnight.
Washington and Anderson Parks are progressing. Meetings of residents
with apartment managers and store managers in the riot area have
resulted in agreements for better maintenance service in the apartments
and better quality goods in the stores. The Reverends Boone and J. C.
Ward were very interested in this.
At its meeting on Friday, June 23, 1967 the Community Relations
Commission adopted resolutions:
1. Urging the Retail Food Dealers Association to adopt
membership qualifications and to dicipline its members,
2. Requesting an immediate survey of Recreation resources
raiif
Page #4 Report on Dixie Hills Episode
3. Asking the Community Council to convene a city-wide meeting
for long-term plans for recreation, and
4. WW resolution addressed to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen,
the text of which is attached.
Minutes of the Hearing held by the Commission on Wednesday afternoon, are
attached and copy of requests from Citizens Groups to Parks and Recreation
Committee on May 9th and Police Committee on May 10th.
Disposition of Cases, as of July 21, 1967:
Miss Georgia Wilkins: In Municipal Court, fined $17 for resisting arrest;
$15 for profane language; bound over to County Court on charge of assault
and battery.
Mr, Eddie Wilkins: In Municipal Court, charge of vulgar language, dismissed;
bound over to County Court on charges of assualt and battery and maliscious
mischief.
Mr. Joseph Hendricks: In Municipal Court, for interferring with arrest, fined
$25, or $15 and time,suspended; charge of profane language dismissed; bound
over on charge of assault and battery.
The cases have not been set for trial in County court; probably in September.
i ‘
COMMUNITY RELATIGNS COMMISSION 1203 CITY HALL ATLANTA, GEORGIA
incidents which took plsc. in the Dixie Hills area June 17th thru
hy ‘NOTE: "The City of Atienta’Polics Department is investigating all of the
! ra June 20th."
July 12, 1967
ae jon
REPORT ON DIXIE HILLS EPISODE cor YOUR INFORMAT
A memo in the files of the Community Relations Commission, dated April 5, 1967
states "Mr, Charles Hart suggests that the Commission hold a hearing in the
Northwest area immediately = including, Troy Street area, Dixie Hills, Almond
Park, etc. He pointed out several problems in the area.
-. On. April 19th a meeting was held at Alien A. Me. E. Church, at which time
24 persons spoke, and some 15 more submitted written statements about
needs. (On May 4th, a meeting was held at Wilkes Chapel, in Perry Homes
area) The complaints included sewers; street paving; street signs; police
protection, "In Dixie Hills Plaza"; recreation; double session schools;
charges in public housing projects; rats; maintenance of apartments.
The individual complaints were referred to the appropriate departments
and the Commission was informed that an encouraging number had been
handled.
The major ones, of inadequate resources for young people would require
major resources and programs through the City Rarks and Recreation
Department or through the Board of Education.
On May 9th, the Center Hill - Grove Park Civic Association and the
CNAC for the West Central EOA center submitted requests to the Parks
Committee for 8 specific programs in the general area. On May 10th
same groups submitted to the Police Committee requests for development
of a Police Athletic Leagu®,
The Dixie Hills Shopping Center is in area of about one block by one-half
block, It is surrounded by apartment houses with little open space ---
a parking area for about 20 cars.
On the evening of Saturday, June 17th, a customer left the Flamingo Grill
at about 9:15 P, M. and was etanding on a corner in the plaza.[He was
drinking beer, | According to him, Eddie Wilkins,.wharwes. the one arreste2rs
"I was standing on the corner, had a can of beer and I'm old enough,
I'm over 213; then three security policemen from the Flamingo Grill, cams
up and told me to move on, He's got. a grudge against me; the security
guards said ‘You can't stand here on the corner' I said 'Why?' Then
he pushed me. (The security guard) Then we started to fight. And tha.
the city police came."
Eddie Wilkins' sister, Georgia Wilkins, was arrested later, He veri |
was* "Detective J. W. Bailey pulled me over and tried to handce.+
He -.anped me and I started to fight back. My Daddy told me it. |
powice take me on in and he would get me out. They put a a
tons cut brass knuckles, beat the boy and then started bea*: 27 an
stai.ast and back. I asked why they were arresting and hates: ae The
Negro officer told me to shut up! He said he had arrested =F for bad
language. I said they should arrest everybody then. I kept quiet so
they would'nt- beat me."
Page #2 Report on Dixie Hills Episode
During this period, a crowd gathered and some protested the arrests.
Another man was also arrested. A police officer said Miss Wilkins
was hitting at them with her pocketbook and cursing. She was arrested
on charges of an assualt on an officer, using obscene and vulgar language.
Her brother was arrested on a miscellaneous mischief charge. The third
person, Joseph Kendrick of Proctor Street, was charged with interfering
with an officer. They claim to have been beaten by the police in the car.
The crowd gathered. The police officer denied the charges against him,
saying that they were fighting and protesting.
There were no disturbances on Saturday night and no police cars in the
area. The incidents in the Dixie Hills area were sparked off as a result
of the fight with the security guards on Saturday. On Sunday afternoon
Stokley Carmichael and his SNCC companions were in the neighborhood.
After a swimming trip at Mozley Park, they were arrested for loitering.
It was reported by Howard Watson, a resident of the Dixie Hills area,
there were about 4 police cars patroling. He held a meeting at St.
doseph's Church on Verbena Street, N. W., with some residents of the
community to decide whether they should picket the shopping plaza.
The meeting was held at 3:00 P. . , shortly after Stokley Carmichael's
arrest. There were no incidents Sunday night.
Monday afternoon, a young man was shot by a police officer. The incident
was discribed by an eyewitness as follows: "Somebody threw a brick in
the shopping center and hit the window to a store, the burglar alarm went
off. A boy (the one who was shot) picked up a stick and started beating
on the alarm to try to make it stop, as they had seen policemen do. The
police drove up, one man got out of the car and came over to the boy and
told him to stop. The boy didn't stop. When the boy continued beating,
the policeman demanded again that he stop. When the boy continued beat-
ing, the policeman pushed him. The boy's friend suggested that he defend
himself. Then the boy retaliated by pushing the policeman back. They
started to séuffle. The boy pushed the policeman against his car and
backed away from him. The policeman pulled out his pistol and shot the
boy."
Marion Ward, 31 Shirley Place, gave this account of what happened Tues. night. He
said: "The Police Department got nasty with us last night after people
got shot. We tried to get police officers to help us out, he told us
to wait, we should have been in the house, to wait, they would get to us
when they could ----- Fellow was dead, little boy would have died ---
told me to pick fellow up and bring him to him --= fellow was already
dead --=- the fellow I went to was the person who did the shooting.
Police were scared to death, had shotguns. fellow who threw firebomb was
no where near us. Lady said 'We better go in the house’ when firebomb
was thrown, tried to get in the same door. I would know police officer
whe shat --- got a good look at him in light of bomb",
Page #3 Report on Dixie Hills Episode
The observations of Reginald Carter after Dixie Hills Rioting .
(Community Relations Steff)
I arrived into the area about 9:15 A. M., Tuesday, June 20th at
Verbena Street at the EOA West Central Neighborhood Service Center.
I saw the bulldozers and tractors uf the City of Atlanta grading
ground to be used for a play lot. The street cleaners were clearing
the streets. The sewers were being cleaned out and many of the city
officials were in the area giving directions and making plans about what
is to be done next about play lots. The area was without incident.
Later on in the evening, 10:15 P. M., when I arrived back into the area,
policemen were fully armed. I had heard that four (4) people were shot,
one fatally. The area was high in tension and several shots were fired
periodically.
I went to Grady Hospital in an effort to get an official report of the
incident and possibly ta talk to some of the injured. I was only able
to get a story of what happened from a news reporter. She reported:
"A Mr. Timothy Ross was fatally shot while sitting on a step at his
home; Marion Ward was shot between the eyes, his injury was not serious;
Catherine Duncan was shot in the hand while in her apartment. The
shooting resulted from a kid who threw,a fire bomb at a policeman. The
policeman got excited and started shooting". Reginald Rivers, age nine
(9) was shot in the side.
I returned to the area of Dixie Hills and heard that the Mayor had been
there fur a short while. I listened while Reverend Boone, Rush
Congregational Church, Reverend J. C. Ward, Hunter Hill Baptist Church,
Ben Perry, wWAOK, and Douglas Jackson who was shot by the police on the
evening before, was interviewed about the shooting of the afternoon.
I left the area about 12:15 A. M., there were no further incidents.
Wednesday morning: Mayor Allen rendered a 9 P.M. . @ A. M. curfew
under powers granted to him on Monday, and requested the Community
Relations Commission's Executive Committee to hold a meeting to hear
from residents of the area --- notes attached:
Upon recommendation of the local leaders and the Community Relations
Commission the Mayor extended the curfew to midnight.
Washington and Anderson Parks are progressing. Meetings of residents
with apartment managers and store managers in the riot area have
resulted in agreements for better maintenance service in the apartments
and better quality goods in the stores. The Reverends Boone and J. C.
Ward were very interested in this.
At its meeting on Friday, June 23, 1967 the Community Relations
Commission adopted resolutions:
1. Urging the Retail Food Dealers Association to adopt
membership qualifications and to dicipline its members,
2. Requesting an immediate survey of Recreation resources
raiif
Page #4 Report on Dixie Hills Episode
3. Asking the Community Council to convene a city-wide meeting
for long-term plans for recreation, and
4. WW resolution addressed to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen,
the text of which is attached.
Minutes of the Hearing held by the Commission on Wednesday afternoon, are
attached and copy of requests from Citizens Groups to Parks and Recreation
Committee on May 9th and Police Committee on May 10th.
Disposition of Cases, as of July 21, 1967:
Miss Georgia Wilkins: In Municipal Court, fined $17 for resisting arrest;
$15 for profane language; bound over to County Court on charge of assault
and battery.
Mr, Eddie Wilkins: In Municipal Court, charge of vulgar language, dismissed;
bound over to County Court on charges of assualt and battery and maliscious
mischief.
Mr. Joseph Hendricks: In Municipal Court, for interferring with arrest, fined
$25, or $15 and time,suspended; charge of profane language dismissed; bound
over on charge of assault and battery.
The cases have not been set for trial in County court; probably in September.
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