Chief Plans 'Top-Down Assessment' Of Roswell Police Department

ROSWELL, GA — Two explosive incidents involving two police officers and a K-9 has led the Roswell Police Department and the city to launch an investigation into the inner workings of the agency.

Chief Rusty Grant in a message posted to the Police Department said the agency will be subjected to a "top-down assessment" of its functions, communications along chain of command and disciplinary policies and "all aspects of our operations.

This will also include bringing in an outside, professional firm specializing in public safety matters to perform an audit of the department. Once that is complete, Roswell police will draft a report and a formal plan to "address and correct what is found in this process."

Grant's message, which was uploaded to the agency's Facebook page Wednesday evening, notes the review comes nearly a week after he placed two officers, Courtney Brown and Kristee Wilson, on administrative leave after body cam footage revealed they used a smartphone app to determine whether a driver should be cited or arrested for speeding. While their actions occurred in April, the footage was released last week in a report conducted by WXIA-TV.

"We are working to complete this investigation as quickly as we can," he said in his message, which can be viewed here. "This type of behavior is not indicative of the hard-working men and women of the Roswell Police Department or the policing profession."

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Grant's message also comes on the heels of another report compiled by WXIA-TV, the local NBC affiliate, that showed a police K-9 refusing to obey commands to release its hold on a 17-year-old subject. According to the station, an officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle that was reported to have been stolen. The officer tried to pull over the vehicle, which eventually came to a stop inside an apartment complex. A total of four people were inside the vehicle, two of whom fled the scene.

According to dash cam video obtained by 11 Alive, the officer warns via speaker that he would release the K9, Robbie, if the suspects didn't stop running. One suspect stops and walks back towards the officer. That young man places a shirt and backpack on the curb and sits with his hands visible the entire time. The officer, who has his gun drawn, continues to say "Robbie, halt!" while the K9 barks relentlessly. As the officer makes his way towards the 17-year-old sitting on the ground, the K9 bolts towards the subject and grabs hold of his arm.

The teen can be heard yelling and screaming while the officer continues to give the K9 commands to "halt" and for the subject to not move — while Robbie continues to bite down on his arm. The K9 briefly lets go of the teen's arm when the officer release his collar, but the dog quickly resumes his attack on the subject. Robbie eventually lets go and even appears to snap at the handler.

Grant told the station that "it troubles me that the K-9 did not release sooner than what he did." You can watch the video uploaded by 11 Alive. However, readers should note that this footage is graphic and disturbing. 11 Alive notes the teen had to be hospitalized due to severe bite wounds, and the charges against him were eventually dropped.

Patch has reached out to Grant to see if that review will also include an overhaul of police K9 practices, and is waiting to hear back from the chief.

Image via Roswell Police Department's video