‘The video speaks for itself’: Fulton County student tased by officer speaks out

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A Fulton County high school student who was tased by an officer during an altercation on a bus is speaking out after the incident on Thursday went viral.

Lanier Johnson-Hunt, 18, was tased on the bus, which was carrying Langston Hughes High School students, on Dec. 18.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Fulton County high schooler tased by officer during bus confrontation

Johnson-Hunt said it all started because of a new school bus driver who thought Johnson-Hunt didn’t belong on the bus. When he refused to get off, Johnson-Hunt said the resource officer tased him multiple times.

“As soon as I got on the bus, the bus driver told me I wasn’t supposed to be on the bus and today she gonna make sure I’m gonna get off the bus, so don’t even sit down,” Johnson-Hunt recalled.

The 18-year-old student said the bus driver contacted the school’s administrators, who then boarded and made all of the students get off.

Johnson-Hunt said he complied and exited the bus. When everyone was allowed back on, Johnson-Hunt said he sat down again and that’s when the school resource officer was contacted.

Harry Daniels, a national civil rights attorney representing Johnson-Hunt, showed what appeared to be burn marks on the teen’s throat and chest.

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“The video speaks for itself...,” Daniels said. “At one point the officer had his hands around his [Lanier’s] neck, slamming him back into the seat, then using his taser in a drive-stun mode and that’s when the taser actually is pressed to the body and the prongs actually [cause] burning sensations to the body.”

Johnson-Hunt said other students on the bus came to his defense, telling the officer and administrators that he belonged there.

“At the end of the day, he was on the right bus. He didn’t lie to anyone. He wasn’t trying to fight the police officer and if they generally would have just asked they would have knew he was on the right bus. It’s just scary. He could have died. You tased him in the middle of his chest,” Johnson-Hunt’s mother said.

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The officer was removed from active duty following the incident, according to Fulton County Schools.