A former East Point police officer arrested in April after five hours of negotiations with SWAT officers is in custody again in Coweta County.
Robert Gray, a former lieutenant with the East Point agency, was placed on administrative leave following his arrest six months ago on a first-degree burglary charge. He allegedly broke into a Newnan home while off duty and refused to come out when police and SWAT arrived.
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East Point police spokesman Capt. Allyn Glover confirmed Tuesday that “Gray is no longer an employee of the East Point Police Department and has not been for several months.”
His most recent arrest was Sunday afternoon. Gray, 49, was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident after he allegedly hit a road sign with his SUV and caused damage to another vehicle.
The other driver told Coweta County authorities she was driving behind Gray’s white Kia Sorento on East Ga. 34 when the SUV swerved into the median and hit the sign. The sign was knocked into the westbound lanes and struck by the woman, according to an incident report obtained by AJC.com.
Gray did not stop, several witnesses at the scene told a responding deputy. A piece of plastic left at the scene led the deputy to put out a lookout for a white Kia SUV with heavy front-end damage.
That description matched Gray’s vehicle, according to the report. The former police officer was wanted by Newnan police for an alleged violation of a family violence order and was already being tracked by that agency.
Deputies caught up with Gray in the parking lot of a nearby Kroger, where he “became very hostile,” the deputy said in the report. The deputy noted the smell of alcohol on Gray’s breath, his slurred speech and his inability to stand without holding onto his vehicle.
When the deputy asked about damage to the Kia’s front end and sunroof, Gray allegedly said “you are either gonna take me in or you aren’t.”
A struggle ensued when deputies attempted to put Gray in handcuffs, according to the report. He was taken to the ground and shocked with a stun gun before being placed under arrest.
In addition to the charges related to the traffic incident and the family violence order, Gray is facing charges of obstruction. He is being held in the Coweta County Jail without bond.
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