Atlanta cops arrest man accused of slashing homeless tents
ATLANTA, Ga. - A man seen on video damaging property at an Atlanta homeless encampment was arrested Tuesday, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
Police have identified the man seen in the cellphone video as 42-year-old Danielle Barnett.
Barnett was taken into custody while he was attending court in Fulton County for an unrelated case, police said.
Police said he would be taken to the Fulton County Jail and charged with seven counts of criminal tres/damage to property and reckless conduct.
The video from March 7 shows Barnett destroying tents on Old Wheat Street in Sweet Auburn. It’s the same encampment where Cornelius Taylor was killed in January when he was struck by a city vehicle.
“It’s one thing to see the tragic death that occurred here. More shocking is also to see the video of this guy who says he is policing the streets of Atlanta,” said activist Derrick Boazman.
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According to his website, Barnett, who goes by “Davinci,” is the founder of the Sweet Auburn Frontline Enforcement as known as SAFE.
The website claims the organization has partnered with the city on homeless initiatives.
“We provide public safety beautification and non-profit auditing and ability that they get funded for,” he explained in a YouTube video posted Sunday.
In the video, Barnett expressed he’s received death threats since the cell video circulated and wanted to set the record straight.
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“Long story short is that we put out a fire,” he said. “Along the process the tent walls and abandoned property that’s left in the middle of this public street has been deemed as debris. No one’s in these tents y’all.”
Councilwoman Liliana Bakhtiari says she was disturbed by the video, “It is a setback of trust. It’s a setback in the trust of the people on the street.”
Bakhtiari says the city has been working with a coalition of homeless nonprofits since the death of Cornelius Taylor who was killed during an encampment sweep just steps from where this happened.
She said SAFE is not one of them.
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“This man is not associated with the police department,” said Bakhtiari. “The mayor’s office, this man is not associated with council or anyone or anything inside this building. The city does not stand for that.”
Atlanta police say they’ve secured warrants for Barnett’s arrest on property damage charges.
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