A few weeks ago, two Gwinnett County deputies were approached outside of their headquarters by a man who appeared drunk and was holding an alcoholic beverage.
The deputies and the man likely anticipated an arrest — the man even asked deputies to arrest him for public drunkenness, according to the sheriff’s office.
But that’s not what happened.
Instead, the two deputies worked to help the man, a recovering alcoholic who was rendered homeless after losing his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a Facebook post, the sheriff's office said the man "was very respectful and expressed sorrow at the current condition of his life."
Sgt. C. Fusi and Deputy D. Bragg are both being praised for their empathetic approach to the situation, which ended with the struggling man in a hotel room instead of a jail cell.
The deputies helped set the man up with a room and gave him a ride, the sheriff’s office said.
“We appreciate the care and attention our deputies gave to a struggling man who just needed someone to listen to him and care enough to give him a helping hand,” the post said. “We have no doubt he'll be back on his feet and we hope he stops by the office with a good report in the near future.”
The incident happened before Friday’s deadly police shooting of Rayshard Brooks, which has reignited questions over police reform.
COMPLETE COVERAGE: Rayshard Brooks case and Atlanta protests
Brooks was found asleep in a vehicle at an Atlanta Wendy's before he failed a breathalyzer test, AJC.com previously reported. When two officers attempted to take him into custody, a struggle broke out over a Taser, leading to Brooks being shot and killed by Officer Garrett Rolfe, who has since been fired.
The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office has not released any additional information on the actions of Fusi and Bragg.
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