Atlanta has stopped clearing out homeless encampments after a city truck ran over and killed a man as he slept in his tent.
Cornelius Taylor, 49, was in his tent on Old Wheat Street near Ebenezer Baptist Church on Jan. 16 when a city truck ran over it during the enforcement sweeps, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
Mayor Andre Dickens called for a temporary pause on the sweeps while ordering a review of city policy as the horrific death sparked huge outrage.
“Every life in this city matters to me,” Dickens said in a video posted to Instagram.
“While we are still gathering all the facts, this terrible accident expresses the need to reevaluate and reassess our city’s policies concerning homeless encampments and how we can better serve our unhoused population,” the mayor said.
“This legislation also includes a temporary moratorium on encampment closures to allow us time to examine our policies and expand our outreach efforts, ensuring that this work can be done safely and that a tragedy like this one never happens again,” he said.
“The loss of Cornelius Taylor was a terrible accident. And we will meet this tragic moment with compassion, with urgency, and with love so it never happens again.”
Despite the tragedy, the mayor stood by shuttering homeless encampments, citing public health and safety concerns.
According to the outlet, the mayor’s office will work with the city council over the next few weeks to identify those needing help — and hold a major review of current policies.
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