Alpharetta Officer Charged With BUI

ALPHARETTA, GA -- An officer with the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety has been charged with boating under the influence in an incident that sent at least one person to the hospital.

Mark McKinnon, spokesperson with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, said the incident was reported just after 6 p.m. Saturday, July 2 in the Young Deer Creek area of Lake Lanier.

One person was transported to the hospital with "serious injuries," he added. The operator of the boat, Christopher James Harrison, was arrested and charged with boating under the influence. McKinnon said additional charges may be forthcoming based on the outcome of the investigation.

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Alpharetta Department of Public Safety spokesperson Gary George said his agency was notified about incident involving the officer, "who is on active military duty."

Harrison, George said, "has been absent from the department on military leave since March 23, 2016, and remains under military jurisdiction."

"Since the incident occurred while our employee was under military control, we must defer comment at this time," he added. "However, per our standard procedure, the city of Alpharetta and specifically the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety will undertake an internal affairs investigation into the matter to determine if any city or departmental policies have been violated, and we will monitor the case as it pertains to the charges filed by the DNR.”

McKinnon said his agency's investigation could take anywhere from six weeks to several months to complete.

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Photo: Christopher James Harrison. Credit: Forsyth County Jail