Bartow sheriff's deputy fired, fiancee arrested over confrontation

BARTOW COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - A Bartow County sheriff's deputy has been fired and both he and his fiancée have been arrested following a confrontation at a Cartersville apartment complex that went viral on social media.

On Sunday, a woman publicly posted a video of the incident on her Facebook page.  In the short clip, she knocks on the deputy's door and asks, 'Would you guys mind keeping it down?'

Haley Truncer said it was after midnight and she couldn't take the noise any more, she said it was keeping her 3-year-old nephew awake.

"There was music and stomping and a microphone, like there was some karaoke going on," said Truncer.

The deputy, later identified as 28-year-old Brison Strickland, and his fiancée, 25-year-old Kristen Smith, responded by cursing at the woman.

"These are the type of officers that Bartow County employs," she wrote on the Facebook post.  "This is what's supposed to 'protect and serve' us."

Bartow County Sheriff Clark Millsap said his office was notified of the incident Monday, and he immediately suspended Strickland pending an investigation. According to the sheriff's office, the Criminal Investigations Division and the Internal Affairs Office looked into the incident and Strickland was fired Tuesday. 

"During the exchange, Strickland and Smith were verbally abusive and made several claims to be police officers and used explicit language in threatening manners," the sheriff's office said in a statement. 

Truncer said she's pleased the sheriff's office acted so quickly.

%INLINE%

"Coming from an officer who is supposed to be enforcing those laws, and he's supposed to be a role model for the rest of the community, it didn't look good for him," said Truncer.

Strickland had been employed with the sheriff's office from February 2010 until July 2015 and then again since April 2017.

Strickland is charged with simple assault and disorderly house. Smith was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct.