Atlanta Police homicide detectives are investigating the death of an unhoused man on Jan. 16 during an encampment clearing by the city.
The incident occurred around noon while the Atlanta Public Works Department was clearing a homeless encampment at 300 Old Wheat St. NE in the Sweet Auburn district. The man was transported to Grady Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the unidentified victim was concealed inside a tent when he was injured by an APWD vehicle. No other details about the incident have been released to the public.
Tracy Woodard, who does outreach to homeless encampments for the Atlanta advocacy group InTown Cares, told the AJC the incident was “incredibly negligent.”
According to Woodard, case workers are sent to encampments before they are cleared to assist the unhoused with services, including offering shelter. She said officials typically check all the makeshift structures and tents to make sure no one is sleeping inside.
