Atlanta officer arrested for marijuana possession

An Atlanta police officer is on paid leave after his arrest for having marijuana during a traffic stop, the department said Monday.

Officer Vincent Marcano, a member of the department since 2001, was arrested by Fayetteville police Saturday around 4 p.m. and charged with possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and having a cracked windshield, according to Sgt. Greg Lyon with Atlanta police.

“Officer Marcano has been relieved of duty and placed on paid administrative leave pending a hearing with Chief (George) Turner,” Lyon said in an emailed statement.

An attorney for Marcano told Channel 2 Action News that the officer’s wife is ill and he had the drugs to help ease her pain.