2 Madison women charged in Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’ attack

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – A pair of Madison women are among the nearly two dozen people accused of domestic terrorism following the attack on a future police training facility in Atlanta, Georgia, over the weekend.

Grace Martin and Kayley Meissner were arraigned Tuesday in a DeKalb Co. (Ga.) courtroom, along with 21 other suspects arrested in the Sunday evening assault.

Martin, 22, and Meissner, 19, are accused of being part of a group of violent agitators who destroyed multiple pieces of construction equipment, even setting at least one fire. Video released by the Atlanta Police Department shows protestors in black clothing and what appear to be fireworks blasting off. Throughout the video, rocks and Molotov cocktails can be seen being thrown by protestors in the direction of officers.

During Tuesday’s arraignment, Judge Anna W. Davis ordered both Martin and Meissner to be held without bond. NBC15 News’ sister-station WANF, in Atlanta, reported she denied bond for several defendants, citing a lack of local ties presenting a flight risk and a significant danger to the community based on the events that took place Sunday.

Investigators allege a group of violent agitators used the cover of a peaceful protest of the proposed Atlanta Public Safety Training Center to conduct a coordinated attack on construction equipment and police officers. They changed into black clothing and entered the construction area and began throwing large rocks, bricks, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at police officers. During the event, authorities detained 35 people, twelve of whom were later released.

Of the 23 people identified by the Atlanta Police Dept. as being arrested in connection with the incident, only two listed home addresses in Georgia. The rest hailed from 14 other states as well as France and Canada.

Speaking exclusively to WANF, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr stopped short of attributing the actions to any specific group, like Antifa, but did ascribe it to “a well-organized national group. There is no doubt about it.”

No new court dates have been set for Martin and Meissner. Carr noted there is no timetable for when the cases against any of these defendants will proceed. Eighteen other individuals have been charged since December with domestic terrorism stemming from the movement opposed to the training facility. None of those suspects have subsequent court dates set either, Carr added.

WANF has tracked the history of violence and controversy that has surrounded the training facility here.

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