ATLANTA — Fani Willis declared victory Tuesday night in her bid for Fulton County District Attorney, soundly defeating her former boss, Paul Howard.
“Y’all we made her story,” said Willis, who is poised to become the first woman to serve as Fulton’s first DA, AJC reported. “You have my word, during my tenure as district attorney in Fulton County, we will be a beacon for justice and ethics in Georgia and across the nation.”
Howard, seeking his seventh term in office, conceded defeat shortly before 11 p.m., telling reporters, “I came in with pride and I’m leaving with pride.”
With nearly all precincts reporting, Willis dominated with a commanding 73 percent of the vote. Speaking to supporters outside her Midtown campaign headquarters, the 49-year-old mother of two vowed to bring “transparency and accountability” to the DA’s office.
Howard stunned the law enforcement community when making a misleading statement the day he announced charges against the Atlanta officers.
“Mr. Books on the night of this incident, was calm. He was cordial. And really displayed a cooperative nature,” Howard said. “We concluded and considered it as one of our important considerations that Mr. Brooks never presented himself as a threat.”
He made these comments despite knowledge that Brooks had fought with officers, and disarmed one of them of his Taser, firing it in their direction as he tried to get away.
