A Georgia mayor was arrested Saturday morning for allegedly breaking into a lake house.
At 6:52 a.m., a homeowner in South Fulton, Georgia reportedly received a notification that someone had walked onto his property. The homeowner got dressed and called the police.
The homeowner allegedly saw the trespasser exiting the lake house and ordered him to stay put. However, the man reportedly replied, “Do you know who the f*** I am? I’m the mayor, and I’ll wait for my police to get here and see what happens then.”
When police arrived, they identified the trespasser as Khalid Kamau, the mayor of South Fulton. Kamau was arrested and booked into Fulton County Jail on charges of criminal trespass and first-degree burglary. His bond was set at $11,000.
Kamau claimed he was on his way to the dog park and told police that the property was his “dream house.” He also said he was aware he was trespassing.
After Kamau was arrested, Mayor Pro Tempore Natasha Williams-Brown served as temporary mayor. Kamau was released Saturday evening.
Kamau deflected, telling WAGA-TV reporter Deidra Dukes he was sorry for the attention his arrest brought to the city but hoped his arrest brought attention to “some of the inequities that have been happening.”
South Fulton Mayor Khalid Kamau Arrested for Trespassing, Burglary
“I apologize for the negative attention that this is brought to our city,” Kamau said. “I hope that the spotlight on our city right now will highlight some of the inequities that have been happening.” pic.twitter.com/leKMmJTygK
— Lauren Witzke (@LaurenWitzkeDE) July 9, 2023
In 2019, The Nation wrote a glowing profile on then-councilman Kamau, who is a staunch supporter of Democratic socialism and the BLM movement.
The city of South Fulton issued a statement on the mayor’s arrest: “The city of South Fulton is committed to upholding the law and ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their position, are subject to the same fair and just treatment. As the investigation is still ongoing, we are unable to provide further details at this time.”
