A Clayton County police officer was jailed in Henry County after witnesses said he spat on a woman in a parking lot and used a racist slur during a bout of road rage.
Officer Thomas Sheats faces simple battery, simple assault and disorderly conduct, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Clayton County Police Chief Gregory Porter announced last week he was aware of Sheats’ arrest but he did not give any details other than to emphasize that Sheats was off duty during the confrontation and was in his personal vehicle.
“Officer Sheats’ actions are being investigated by our internal affairs unit. The officer is on administrative leave without pay until the investigation is completed,” said the press release from Porter. “In addition, we do not want to compromise any investigation relating to his alleged criminal actions in Henry County. The Department is always concerned when an officer is accused of actions not fitting the core values of the Clayton County Police Department, we are EXTREMELY concerned, and will always address matters such as this immediately.”
The news station reported the confrontation happened on June 29 and began on Highway 155 in Locust Grove. Michele Griffith, 27, said Sheats followed her for miles, blowing his horn, driving erratically and bumping her car, reportedly angry that she was going 35 miles per hour in a 45-mph speed limit.
He trailed her into a pizza place’s parking lot and cursed at her, spat on her and called her the n-word, the news station reported.
Witnesses got Sheats’ tag number and investigators tracked him down last Tuesday and he bonded out of jail on Wednesday.
Sheats has had a run-in with the law before. He was arrested two years ago for domestic violence, the news station reported.
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