Stunt driving organizer says Metro Atlanta deputies gave the ‘OK’ to host event
The organizer of a stunt driving event that drew a thousand people in Carroll County is speaking out after several were arrested. He claims he has video of deputies telling him it was okay to continue the event.
Torres Clark tells Channel 2 Action News reporter Candace McCowan he was the one behind this lot party on April 20 in the Kennedy Estates neighborhood.
“It was an event to gather people get content youtubers and stuff,” said Clark. “Basically, spinning in circles in what we thought was legal property, like private property.”
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It is a party that resulted in at least 10 arrests. Some were charged for actions near the event, but at least one charged for promoting the event that included stunt driving and spinning. But Torres, who says he is the organizer, believed they were in the clear because of interactions with Carroll County Sheriff’s deputies.
“You impressed, you impressed, you not impressed,” you can hear Torres ask the deputies in one video.
In other videos Torries said deputies on scene, seem to indicate the event could continue, as long as they followed rules.
“Stay down there in the middle,” said a deputy in one video.
“If I come back down here and people in the road you’re going to jail,” said another.
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“Two officers came down there, came down there as in the pit that we were at and said y’all can have the event just stay out of the road,” explained Clark.
We showed the video to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office who said this video is from a few weeks before the event in question, where the deputies showed the drivers some grace. But that the organizers “took their graciousness for granted” and then had the event that was not permitted with a thousand people who attended.
But Torres said he felt this was permission.
“I thought we were doing something legal because the police supposed to enforce, they’re supposed to enforce the law, not egg people on the break the law,” said Clark.
A Carroll County spokesperson said the “officers were not educated” and have since been brought up to speed. But that they spoke with organizers several times before the event, telling them they would need a permit that was never turned in. And they were told “no” prior to the event.
“It’s a lot of he said she said,” added Torres.
Torres was speaking out because one of those accused of promoting the event is on probation and he wanted to clear up the confusion. Torres also feared he would be charged. The Sheriff’s office told me today, they were not speaking on impending charges since this is an active investigation.
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