Georgia mayor arrested after entering home by mistake

Mayor Khalid Kamau was arrested after he entered a home he claims he thought was abandoned and found himself in a bizarre confrontation with the homeowner, who held him at gunpoint until police arrived.

Khalid Kamau was spotted near the lakefront property on Palmetto Cascade Highway Saturday morning around 6:52 a.m. The homeowner, whose name has not been released, ordered him "not to move," according to a police report obtained by WSBTV.

According to WSBTV, Kamau, who has been mayor of Fulton City since January 2022, then told police he was on private property because he wanted to purchase a home he believed was abandoned. The mayor was arrested on charges of trespassing and theft. He was released from the Fulton County jail that evening after paying $11,000 bail.

Khalid Kamau, mayor of South Fulton, Georgia, was arrested on trespassing and theft charges after entering a home on Palmetto Cascade Highway that he believed was abandonedKamau declined to comment on the charges when released from jail in handcuffs Saturday, but explained why he was on the property.

"I just wanted to look at the house," Kamau told Fox 5 Atlanta. "I apologize to the owners. I thought it was abandoned. "

In response to a report of trespassing, South Fulton Police arrived on the scene. The homeowner explained that at about 6:52 a.m. he received a notification on his phone that someone was present at his lake house. He was inside the house at the time and saw a man walk up the driveway toward his house, heading toward the lake house, the report says.

According to Kamau's version in the report, he said he was just looking around the property when he was confronted by the owner, who yelled: "You f*cking stay where you are." In response, Kamau said: "Are you going to shoot me in the back?". After police arrived, the intruder was identified as Kamau, and the homeowner reportedly apologized to the mayor. Kamau was arrested on trespassing and theft charges but was later released after paying bail.

The mayor thanked South Fulton police for their courteous and professional service while holding up to reporters as he left the jail. He also apologized for the negative attention this has brought to their city and hopes it will bring attention to some of the inequalities that are happening.

Khalid Kamau is described on the city's website as a "southern, black, Christian activist and socialist" and the first Black Lives Matter organizer elected to public office.

The city of South Fulton said the incident is under investigation. "The City of South Fulton is committed to upholding the law and ensuring that all persons, regardless of their situation, are treated universally and fairly. Because the investigation is still ongoing, we are temporarily unable to provide additional information," the city said in a statement.

Kamau was elected to the City Council in 2017, hired as mayor in January 2022 and immediately clashed with city officials. Earlier this year, five of the seven city council members sued the mayor to remove him from office, citing violations of the city charter. And in April, police shut down a passing festival and Easter egg search for children because of a lack of authorization from the mayor's office. Kamau then said he believed it was revenge on city leaders and the police chief.