FBI To Lead Johnston Investigation

11 Alive, AP
Nov. 29, 2006

Officials say the FBI will lead an investigation into the fatal shooting of an elderly Atlanta woman during a drug raid last week.

The announcement was made by Police Chief Richard Pennington at a news conference Monday afternoon, where he was joined by officials from the FBI, the US Attorney’s Office, the GBI and Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard.

A search warrant released by State Court in Fulton County says Atlanta police were looking for cocaine when they forced open the door of Kathryn Johnston Tuesday night, resulting in a shootout in which three officers were wounded. The warrant says the information came from an informant.

The informant told officers that the home had surveillance cameras that the suspected drug dealer, called “Sam,” monitored carefully.

Police have said “Sam” had sold drugs from inside Johnston’s home to an informant, prompting the officers to seek a “no-knock” warrant. Such warrants are frequently used by police to get inside a home before suspects have a chance to get rid of drugs.

But a local television station aired an interview on Monday evening with a man who said he was the informant, and he said he never told officers that he bought drugs at Johnston's house.

Pennington said at a news conference on Sunday that the department will review its policy on “no-knock” warrants and its use of confidential informants.