After a rainbow crosswalk in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, was vandalized, police called out a SWAT team when the time came to arrest the man they believe was responsible.
Atlanta police said that at about noon on Friday, they went to the apartment of the man they thought painted swastikas on the crosswalk, according to WAGA-TV.
The man would not respond to the police, which led to the SWAT team being called in.
Roads around the man’s apartment were blocked off, according to the New York Post.
Atlanta police leadership sent a SWAT team to arrest a man who painted a swastika on a rainbow flag crosswalk, but won’t actually stop the crime wave in the city. https://t.co/bF5nssl2hj
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) August 20, 2022
At around 5 p.m., the individual told police he would come out of his apartment.
Police said there were no incidents in taking the man into custody.
As of Sunday, police had not released the name of the man taken into custody or what charges they were filing against him.
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The arrest came after multiple incidents of vandalism.
The first instance of vandalism came when a swastika was spray-painted onto a rainbow crosswalk on Wednesday. Atlanta created the crosswalk — designed to resemble the LGBTQ flag — after the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida.
APD investigators are asking for the public’s help to identify a person responsible for vandalizing the Rainbow Crosswalk in Midtown ATL. Investigators believe the same person is responsible for two incidents occured: 08/17/22 & 08/19/22. Call Crime Stoppers 404-577-TIPS (8477) pic.twitter.com/66QPZaJeOm
— Atlanta Police Department (@Atlanta_Police) August 19, 2022
City workers were called to clean the swastika off the crosswalk.
Two days later, the swastika was there again.
A homophobic slur was also scrawled on the pavement, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta issued a statement saying it also suffered vandalism, according to WXIA-TV.
For the second time this week someone has painted a swastika at the rainbow crosswalk at 10th and Piedmont….one has also been painted at the Federal Reserve building in downtown #Atlanta #ATL pic.twitter.com/liEntwDLLy
— DAP 📡🛰️📺 (@Deetroit_Dave) August 19, 2022
“The Atlanta Fed can confirm a swastika symbol was painted on a monument outside our Midtown Atlanta building at the corner of 10th and Peachtree Streets Wednesday evening and then again Friday morning,” the statement said.
“We are thankful for the quick response of our Atlanta Fed law enforcement and facilities teams. We strongly condemn this act of hatred and antisemitism.”
