Alpharetta Police resigns after traffic stop with 65-year-old woman video released
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - An Alpharetta Police officer involved in arresting a 65-year-old woman during a traffic stop has officially resigned after a video of the incident was released.
App users: View full article here
Alpharetta Public Safety Chief John Robinson said aspects of the video, "simply do not represent who we are as an organization, upon reviewing the video I immediately ordered an internal affairs investigation be opened on the incident." The department has also asked the GBI to investigate in the interest of further transparency.
The grandmother and Lyft driver who was arrested, Rose Campbell said she is a Christian woman and initially wanted the officers disciplined, not fired. Mrs. Campbell said in a news conference Friday afternoon that she has had a change of heart on that.
"Now I cannot trust. Now I can't trust a blue light. I can't trust it. It has just damaged me. It hurt me. It has left something in my soul I will never forget," the Sandy Springs grandmother remarked.
Alpharetta Police Officer James Legg submitted his resignation Friday afternoon. Officer Legg wrote in his resignation letter that he acted appropriately and followed the way he was trained.
Some members of the state’s legislative black caucus said they want the officers charged with assault and they will not rest with one resignation.
Rose Campbell was stopped by police on May 4 on Windward Parkway for failure to maintain a lane. When she refused to sign the citation, the video showed things beginning to escalate. Campbell did ask for a supervisor.
The responding officer tried to get her out of the car and arrest her for disorderly conduct. A short time later multiple backup officers arrived.
In the video, Campbell is shown screaming for help while she is being arrested.
Campbell, her attorney, and Georgia State Representatives held a press conference Friday afternoon in Downtown Atlanta discussing the incident.
Former Officer James Legg's full letter of resignation reads as follows:
Dear Chief Robison,