Atlanta Police Academy trainee Moses Russ, 24, died Sept. 1 in a motorcycle crash in Southeast Atlanta.
The incident occurred at Moreland Avenue and McDonough Boulevard, while Russ was on his way to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
Russ was pronounced dead at Grady Hospital. The driver of the other vehicle involved was not injured, and the scene of the accident is under investigation.
A College Park native, Russ was a graduate of Fulton County Schools. He was a current resident of Unity Place in the English Avenue neighborhood, an affordable housing community built to support APD recruits.
Russ started his public safety career in 2024 in APD’s Department of Corrections. He was known as someone who “would go out of his way to assist detainees to ensure that they were treated with dignity,” Elder Dancy, APD Chief of Corrections, said.
In March, Russ transferred to the police department to pursue his dream of being an officer. Before attending the training academy, Russ spent the summer months working on the FIFA 2026 World Cup detail.
During a press conference at the training center on Monday afternoon, Mayor Andre Dickens asked Atlanta residents to send their heartfelt condolences to Russ’ family members and his law enforcement family.
“As you see, we’re a big family,” Dickens said. “The men and women of our law enforcement and our public safety, Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department, Atlanta Police Department, and Corrections have had a lot to deal with recently.”
Dickens was referring to APD Officer DeVante Matthews, who was shot in the arm and bulletproof vest on Aug. 17 while responding to a mental health crisis.
Grief counseling is being offered to APD before training resumes. It’s a tough time for the training class, said APD Police Chief Darin Schierbaum.
“You don’t spend 16 weeks together and not get to know each other. You’re going through difficult times. You’re going through a lot of demanding training and you bond. They have lost a friend and a fellow recruit that is like a brother to them, and we’re going to have to make sure we take care of them, understanding that loss,” Schierbaum said.
