House bill would keep cop killers only in maximum-security prisons in Georgia

ATLANTA - Georgia lawmakers seeking to have those convicted of killing a police officer to serve their sentences in the state’s highest security prisons. This after a convicted cop killer was accused of using his privileges at a medium security facility to taunt the officer’s family on social media.

Capt. Robbie Bishop was killed in his patrol car on Interstate 20 back in 1999. He is legendary in Georgia law enforcement, so when it was learned his family was being taunted by his killer, Jeffrey McGee, from behind the bars, there was outrage.

Capt. Robbies Bishop with a trailer of seized drugs from a photo released at the time of his death in 1999

"The families of our fallen officers have suffered enough, and Bishop’s Law would prevent these families from ever being victimized again," said bill sponsor Rep. Clint Crowe, R-Jackson. "When I was serving as a 911 dispatcher at 20 years old, Captain Bishop inspired me to become a law enforcement officer myself, so I am proud to carry this legislation on behalf of his family. Those who murder law enforcement officers should never have the chance to obtain contraband to harass the victim’s family. I want to thank Chairman Collins for helping me push this legislation forward and giving it a chance to become a law as soon as possible."

Butts County Sheriff Gary Long said the family of Capt. Bishop contacted him saying the state had recently moved McGee from a maximum security prison where he was serving a life term for Bishop's murder to a medium security facility, where he was posting pictures of himself online from behind bars and taunting the officer's family.

Butts County Sheriff Gary Long

Sheriff Long said the prison officials told him and the Bishop family that they searched McGee’s cells and found a mobile phone, but said it belonged to his cellmate and no disciplinary action would be taken.

The sheriff posted about the incident on social media, eventually drawing the attention of Gov. Brian Kemp and several lawmakers. McGee was quickly moved back to a maximum security facility.

"I still remember that horrific day when Captain Bishop’s life was taken," said House Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee Chairman J. Collins, R-Villa Rica. "I want to commend the Georgia Department of Corrections for quickly moving this offender back into a maximum security prison. However, this incident has brought our attention to this very real and unfortunate issue. This bill is vitally important to preventing this from ever happening again."

Monday, a push to keep convicted cop killers in maximum security facilities despite behavior was introduced to the Georgia General Assembly with HB 1553 and will be named for the fallen officer Captain Bishop.

A photo of Long after a traffic stop that resulted in the seizure of drugs in a hidden compartment

Robbie Bishop specialized in highway interdiction and was credited with large seizures of drugs and money from cars traveling Atlanta highways. Sheriff Long said Bishop’s methods are still in use by law enforcement all over the country and are what he used as a road deputy in his own career.

"Robbie was the guy. He was the professor of law enforcement, and unfortunately he paid the ultimate sacrifice on January 20, 1999," Long said.

McGee was convicted and sentenced to life in prison after his arrest in Canada. His name appeared in Bishop’s citation book as the last warning ticket written that day.

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