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Erika Shields
Former Chief of Police Atlanta

Erika Shields is an American law enforcement officer. She previously served as the chief of police of the Louisville Metro Police Department from January 2021 to January 2023. She was previously the 24th chief of police of the Atlanta Police Department from 2016 to 2020.

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Early life and education

Shields is a native of Morris, New York.23 She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies from Webster University and a master's degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University.4

Career

Before joining the Atlanta Police Department as a patrol officer in 1995, Chief Shields worked as a stockbroker in Boston.56 She was the second woman to lead the Atlanta Police Department, and the first openly gay person to do so.7

On December 1, 2016, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced that he had selected Shields to succeed Chief George N. Turner, who was retiring.8

In May 2020, amid protests in Atlanta in response to the murder of George Floyd, Shields said that the angry reaction was understandable, and that the value of the lives of black people was being diminished by police or other individuals, stating that such events were a "recurring narrative". She added with some suggestions on how police could do better, namely better training and "weeding out bad cops", and praised the use of body-worn cameras.9 Shields addressed demonstrators stating that she was happy to allow protests so long as they didn't violate laws. She stated her opposition to using force to halt the protests, stating that protestors have a right "to be upset, to be scared, and to want to yell".10

On June 13, 2020, Shields resigned after a video went viral of an officer fatally shooting a black man, Rayshard Brooks. During his arrest for DUI, Brooks wrestled officers, grabbed a taser, and aimed it at the pursuing officers.11121314

In January 2021, she joined the Louisville Police Department.15

In June 2023, she joined Georgia-based provider of training tools for law-enforcement agencies InVeris as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).16

References

  1. Costello, Darcy. "Erika Shields, Atlanta chief during Rayshard Brooks shooting, to lead Louisville police". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved January 6, 2021. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/metro-government/2021/01/06/ex-atlanta-chief-picked-to-lead-troubled-louisville-police-department/6472388002/ ↩

  2. Christian Boone, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "For new Atlanta Police chief, challenges await". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 14, 2020. https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/for-new-atlanta-police-chief-challenges-await/pbbrbhDcrw6Cnim9rCjWnO/ ↩

  3. Writer, Denise Richardson Staff (December 5, 2016). "Morris native picked to lead Atlanta police". The Daily Star. Retrieved May 19, 2021. https://www.thedailystar.com/news/local_news/morris-native-picked-to-lead-atlanta-police/article_fc93550f-42c6-5c5c-8851-b639981e1331.html ↩

  4. "Chief Erika Shields | Atlanta Police Department". www.atlantapd.org. Retrieved June 13, 2020. https://www.atlantapd.org/about-apd/office-of-the-chief/chief-erika-shields ↩

  5. "Atlanta Police Department : Chief Erika Shields". www.atlantapd.org. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191023092240/http://www.atlantapd.org/about-apd/command-staff/erika-shields-188 ↩

  6. Reisigl, Joe (May 30, 2017). "The Chief: Erika Shields wants to change the way Atlanta police tackle crime". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2019. https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/erika-shields-wants-to-change-the-way-atlanta-police-tackle-crime/ ↩

  7. Reisigl, Joe (May 30, 2017). "The Chief: Erika Shields wants to change the way Atlanta police tackle crime". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2019. https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/erika-shields-wants-to-change-the-way-atlanta-police-tackle-crime/ ↩

  8. Leon Stafford, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Deputy chief Erika Shields named Atlanta's 24th chief of police". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 21, 2019. https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/deputy-chief-erika-shields-named-atlanta-24th-chief-police/py8n46zr1qGtt25qAzKG2N/ ↩

  9. Farrer, Martin (May 30, 2020). "Atlanta police chief says 'black lives being diminished' as Floyd protests grow". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/29/atlanta-police-chief-erika-shields-george-floyd-protest ↩

  10. "'You have a right to be upset': Atlanta police chief addresses protesters during Floyd demonstrations". FOX 5 Atlanta. May 30, 2020. https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/you-have-a-right-to-be-upset-atlanta-police-chief-addresses-protesters-during-floyd-demonstrations ↩

  11. Siegel, Rachel (June 13, 2020). "Atlanta police chief resigns after law enforcement fatally shoots black man". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 13, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/13/atlanta-shooting-police/ ↩

  12. Osborne, Mark; Hoyos, Joshua (June 13, 2020). "Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigns in wake of fatal shooting". ABC News. Retrieved June 13, 2020. https://abcnews.go.com/US/atlanta-police-chief-erika-shields-resigns-wake-fatal/story?id=71239552 ↩

  13. "Atlanta officer fired after fatal shooting of black man". AP NEWS. June 14, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020. https://apnews.com/e5741e6b7d1a3c9be991201d21b90e13 ↩

  14. Browne, Malachy; Kelso, Christina; Marcolini, Barbara (June 14, 2020). "How Rayshard Brooks Was Fatally Shot by the Atlanta Police". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 14, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/14/us/videos-rayshard-brooks-shooting-atlanta-police.html ↩

  15. Burke, Minyvonne (January 6, 2021). "Former Atlanta police chief takes over Louisville police department". NBC News. Retrieved May 6, 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/former-atlanta-police-chief-erika-shields-takes-over-louisville-police-n1253023 ↩

  16. Johnson, Malachy (June 18, 2023). "Former LMPD Chief Erika Shields hired at Georgia-based, defense training provider InVeris". Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved December 28, 2023. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/18/former-lmpd-chief-erika-shields-hired-at-georgia-based-inveris/70334070007/ ↩