Jailed cop had history of exposing himself

By Megan Matteucci

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A former college police officer arrested for exposing himself had previously been accused of flashing women while on patrol in metro Atlanta.

Steven Wayne Turner, a former Carver Bible College officer, remains in the Fulton County jail.

Turner, 28, was arrested last week on charges of false imprisonment, public indecency and distributing obscene materials.

This is the second time the former police officer had been accused of exposing himself to women while on duty, officials said.

In September 2008, Turner resigned from the Lithonia Police Department after an internal affairs investigation found he exposed himself during a traffic stop and then lied about it, Lithonia Police Chief Willie Rosser said Monday.

"He was given the option of resigning or be terminated," Rosser said.

Investigators opted to allow Turner resign instead of filing criminal charges against him, Rosser said.

Carver officials insist they would have never hired Turner if they knew about his previous actions.

"We just heard about that today," Carver President Robert Crummie said after learning of the record from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It’s unfortunate the other police department did not file charges and that information was not documented. We wouldn’t be in this situation."

Records show the Georgia Peace Officers' Standards and Training Council – which certifies all law enforcement in Georgia – opened an investigation into Turner in September 2008 after receiving a complaint from Lithonia.

That investigation remains open, POST operations director Ryan Powell said Monday.

They are currently looking into the Carver incident.

“We are aware of the arrest and will issue an emergency suspension of his certification,” Powell said.

The suspension means Turner can no longer work as a police officer, including off-duty and security jobs.

POST also investigated a previous simple battery charge against Turner, but the charges were dropped by the court, Powell said.

Turner resigned from Carver Bible College earlier this month after he allegedly exposed himself to three women while patrolling near the college on Cascade Road, Crummie said. He was driving a Carver police cruiser, but was off-campus, Crummie said.

"This type of behavior will not be tolerated at Carver," Crummie said Monday. "I know it's an open investigation, but he’s as wrong as you can be."

Turner is being held in the Fulton County jail on a $201,000 bond, according to jail records.

Turner also previously worked as a reserve deputy for the Clayton County Sheriff's Office.