Atlanta officer accused of beating her dog to death, placed on leave
An Atlanta police officer has been arrested after she allegedly beat her dog to death in Douglas County last month, according to her warrant obtained Thursday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Zabria Bridges, 26, was taken into custody Tuesday by Douglasville police on a charge of felony aggravated cruelty to animals following the Aug. 17 incident at the Emblem Riverside apartments near Lithia Springs, online records show. Bridges, who has been with the department for about 10 months, was placed on administrative leave, according to a statement from Atlanta police Thursday.
“The Atlanta Police Department is aware of the recent arrest of Officer Zabria Bridges. As with any case involving a member of our department, this matter is being taken very seriously,” the statement read. “In accordance with department policy, Officer Bridges has been placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of the investigation. The Atlanta Police Department holds its personnel to the highest standards of conduct, both on and off duty.”
According to her warrant, Bridges is accused of causing “severe and prolonged physical pain” to her dog after she beat it sometime between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. inside an apartment at the Riverside Parkway complex. The attack left the canine with several broken bones and internal bleeding that “ultimately cause(d) the death of the dog,” the warrant stated.
Police were originally called to the apartment at about 10 a.m. for a wellness check, an incident report stated. A warrant was issued for her arrest Monday, records show.
Bridges joined Atlanta police in November 2024 after serving as an officer for about seven months with the Clayton County Police Department, according to Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council records. She voluntarily resigned from that department in September 2024.
A Douglasville police spokesperson said they couldn’t release any more information as the case was still pending.
Jail records show that Bridges’ bond was set at $5,000. An official at the jail said she was no longer being held there Thursday.
— AJC data specialist Jennifer Peebles contributed to this article.
