The usually busy Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta stood still for a minute on Tuesday as sheriff deputies and civilians paused to reflect on the 20th anniversary of a deadly courthouse shooting.
Fulton County Chief Deputy Curtis Clark, along with four other deputies, stood at the memorial on the ground floor of the courthouse and reflected on what happened the morning of March 11, 2005. Over the speakers, an announcement was made asking people to stop and reflect on the tragic day.
“I think about the loss of life. I lost a friend, a coworker on that day. We lost a superior court judge and his court reporter and it is something I will never forget,” Clark said.
On the morning of March 11, 2005, Brian Nichols overpowered a deputy, critically injuring her before taking her gun and walking over to Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes’ chambers. Nichols, who was on trial for rape, held the judge’s staff and a deputy hostage there before going to the adjacent courtroom and shooting and killed Barnes and his court reporter Julie Ann Brandau.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Nichols fled the courthouse and killed Fulton County sheriff deputy Sgt. Hoyt Teasley, who tried to stop him outside the building. He later shot and killed off-duty federal agent David Wilhelm.
Sheriff Patrick Labat called Teasley’s actions on that day “heroic” in a statement to commemorate the 20th anniversary. Labat said they will never forget Teasley’s bravery.
“Sgt. Teasley’s heroic actions, along with the tireless efforts of law enforcement and judicial partners, ultimately led to the apprehension of the suspect and brought closure to this heartbreaking case. This day serves as a painful reminder of the risks our public servants take every day to protect our community,” Labat said. “The bravery, courage, and ultimate sacrifice made by Sgt. Teasley will never be forgotten.”
On Facebook, David Wilhelm’s widow, Candee, shared her thoughts about that day. She described him as one of a kind, funny, smart and a compassionate soul.
“As long as I’m alive, he will never be forgotten! He always deserves to be celebrated and remembered with smiles and love,” she wrote.
Clark said he was at the old public safety training center when he received the call to help and responded to the courthouse. He recalls a lot of chaos after arriving to the scene.
“We had to make sense of a really bad situation on that day,” Clark said.
Nichols had fled to Duluth, where he approached a woman parking her car around 2 a.m., put a gun to her back and forced her into her apartment. He eventually let her go and surrendered outside the Duluth apartment.
Clark said having a moment of silence is a simple act to take on the anniversary of a horrific tragedy.
“They will never go from our hearts and our minds. We will always remember the sacrifice that they gave in the pursuit of justice,” he said.
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