Brandon “Brannu” Fulton, a longtime Atlanta resident and known as the “Urban Cowboy,” recently won a significant federal appeals ruling that allows him to continue his lawsuit against Fulton County. His case stems from a 2017 incident in which authorities seized seven of his horses following his arrest. Although all charges against him were dropped, his horses were never returned.
After years of legal limbo, a federal court has affirmed that Brandon has the right to seek justice. On Aug. 6, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled that Fulton has the right to file a lawsuit.
His story is being chronicled in a new feature documentary, Brannu: The Urban Horseman, directed by Adelin Gasana and produced by Julia Griggs.
Fulton has been the recognizable local horseman in the southwestern part of Fulton County, Georgia. Since his arrival on the scene training and tending to horses and building up his ranch-style property, he has been the target of local government for a decade.
City and county officials have cited him, arrested him, and imposed on him their will for the 27-acre land that he owns. In this adventure story the legal bounds of what land, freedom, and property mean in an agriculture state will take fold. Economic and sociopolitical forces of gentrification, eminent domain and urban renewal will be addressed.
Cameras capture the nuance of Brannu’s daily life and his routine in fighting for his version of the American Dream.
