GA socialist mayor arrested on trespassing, burglary

South Fulton, Georgia Mayor Khalid Kamau (Socialist) was arrested Saturday morning. He was charged with first-degree criminal trespass and burglary. He was booked into the Fulton County Jail on Saturday and later released after posting $11,000 bond.

Kamau allegedly thought he had entered an abandoned house. 

“The City of South Fulton is committed to upholding the law and ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their position, are subject to the same fair and just treatment,” a statement from the City of South Fulton said. “As the investigation is still ongoing, we are unable to provide further details at this time.”

What Kamau didn't count on was that the homeowner had a motion sensor which recorded movement on his property to his phone and noted movement on his property before 7 a.m., as per the police report. 

The homeowner called the cops and then approached Kamau as he was allegedly leaving the house. He ordered the mayor to "stay put" to which Kamau replied,  “Do you know who the f**k I am? I’m the Mayor, and I’ll wait for my police to get here and see what happens then,” according to the homeowner’s account.

According to WSB-TV, the mayor was on his way to a dog park when he made the stop, and his version of events describes the homeowner telling him, “No motherf***ker, you stay right there,” and threatening to shoot him if he didn’t comply. “Are you going to shoot me while I’m walking away?” the mayor reportedly asked.

Kamau as he was being escorted by officers as he was confronted by reporters. He was handcuffed and led into a police car. When asked why he was on the property, he said he “just wanted to see the house” and apologized to the owners, saying he “thought it was abandoned.”

"I apologize for the negative attention that this is brought to our city," Kamau said. "I hope that the spotlight on our city right now will highlight some of the inequities that have been happening." pic.twitter.com/leKMmJTygK

— Lauren Witzke (@LaurenWitzkeDE)

When asked if he was guilty of the charges, Kamau said, “I think that’s for the voters to decide.”

The City of South Fulton website describes the mayor as “a college-educated, community activist and Southern, Black, Christian Socialist.” 

He was sworn in as mayor in January 2022 and had served on the city council since 2017.

Councilwoman Natasha Williams-Brown will serve as acting mayor, 11Alive news reports.

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