POLICE GUILTY IN DRUG-RAID SLAYING

Woman, ', Died In Hail Of 39 Police Bullets

ATLANTA - Two police officers pleaded guilty yesterday to
manslaughter in the shooting death of a 92-year-old woman during a
botched drug raid last fall. A third officer still faces charges.

Officer J.R. Smith told a state judge yesterday that he regretted
what had happened. "I'm sorry," the 35-year-old said, his voice
barely audible. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter, violation of oath,
criminal solicitation, making false statements and perjury, which was
based on claims in a warrant.

Former officer Gregg Junnier, 40, who retired from the Atlanta police
in January, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, violation of oath,
criminal solicitation and making false statements. Both men are
expected to face more than 10 years in prison.

In a hearing later in federal court, both pleaded guilty to a single
charge of conspiracy to violate a person's civil rights, resulting in
death. Their state and federal sentences would run concurrently.

The charges followed a Nov. 21 "no-knock" drug raid on the home of
Kathryn Johnston, 92. An informant had described buying drugs from a
dealer there, police said. When the officers burst in without
warning, Ms. Johnston fired at them, and they fired back, killing her.

Fulton County prosecutor Peter Johnson said that the officers
involved in Ms. Johnston's death fired 39 shots, striking her five or
six times, including a fatal blow to the chest.

He said Ms. Johnston fired only once through her door and didn't hit
any of the officers. That means the officers who were wounded likely
were hit by their own colleagues, he said.

Mr. Junnier and Mr. Smith, who is on administrative leave, had been
charged in an indictment unsealed earlier yesterday with felony
murder, violation of oath by a public officer, criminal solicitation,
burglary, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and making false statements.

The third officer, Arthur Tesler, also on administrative leave, was
charged with violation of oath by a public officer, making false
statements and false imprisonment under colour of legal process. His
attorney, William McKenney, said Mr. Tesler expects to go to trial.
Mr. Tesler, 40, is "very relieved" not to face murder charges, Mr.
McKenney said.

The men who pleaded guilty yesterday could have faced up to life in
prison had they been convicted of murder. Instead, Mr. Junnier will
face 10 years and one month and Mr. Smith 12 years and seven months.
No sentencing date was immediately set, and the sentences are
contingent on the men co-operating with the government.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Yonette Sam-Buchanan said that although the
officers found no drugs in Ms. Johnston's home, Mr. Smith planted
three bags of marijuana there as part of a cover story.