FATAL LEAP
Tyquan Richardson, 22, was already on bail when he reported to a downtown Atlanta courthouse in 2016 for a pre-trial hearing on a drugs charge. The charge itself was relatively minor – he was accused of intent to supply an ounce of marijuana – but the day took a darker turn when he was suddenly rearrested on suspicion of concealing a loaded weapon. A caretaker at the court had discovered a .25 calibre pistol outside the building. Along with the weapon, there were a number of papers with Richardson’s name on, and when the find was brought to the attention of deputies from Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, he was handcuffed and accused of allegedly breaking the terms of his bail. According to police reports, Richardson admitted the gun was his, but he told officers he wasn’t going back to jail – he had already spent 15 days on remand in prison for the earlier drugs charge, as well as serving time for previous convictions – and he wrestled himself free from the officers’ grip. With his hands still cuffed behind his back, he charged towards a plate glass window on the third floor of the building, smashed through it and fell 40 feet onto the concrete pavement below.
He died in hospital a few hours later.