Atlanta policemen convicted of cover-up

At the hearing, Tesler’s lawyer provided examples of other Atlanta police officers who broke the rules or violated the law and said a disturbing culture of misconduct pervades the force.
Following the sentencings, state Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta), who represents Johnston’s neighborhood, called on Atlanta police to release the FBI report. Federal prosecutors have said it contains recommendations that could lead to some officers being disciplined, fired or indicted. U.S. District Judge Julie Carnes imposed the most severe sentence — 10 years — on Smith, 36, who obtained the illegal, no-knock search warrant allowing officers to batter down Johnston’s door. Jason Smith was losing it. “I [screwed] up; I think I killed this woman,” the Atlanta narcotics cop told partner Arthur Tesler in the yard behind a small brick bungalow on Neal Street. “You guys got to help me.”
A terrified Johnston, thinking she was victimized by a home invasion, fired a warning shot through the door. Narcotics officers responded with a hail of gunfire, killing her.
The next day, a worried Tesler approached Junnier, who’d been released from the hospital. He told him their supervisor suspected they were lying. Still, the sergeant had told him, “You need to get your story together and stick to it.”
To that end, Tesler wrote a police report to match the false affidavit and cover story.
Carnes sentenced Junnier, 42, to six years in prison. Junnier, the most experienced officer, was the first to cross the “blue line” — the unspoken code of silence among police — and divulge to the FBI what really happened at Neal Street and how the officers concocted a sophisticated coverup.
Links:
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2009/02/23/johnston_sentencing.html
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories//2009/02/22/kathryn_johnston_sentencing.html