A former South Fulton police officer is facing multiple felony charges after she was accused of interfering with an investigation into her boyfriend, who police say is a member of a gang.
Aliyah Jackson, 27, was arrested Oct. 29, just two days after the arrest of her boyfriend, Kenneth Copeland, police officials said. Jackson is facing counts of tampering with evidence and violation of oath of office for concealing information about Copeland, South Fulton police Chief Keith Meadows said in a news release. Jackson was placed on administrative leave and later resigned.
The case began when Copeland was pulled over while driving Jackson’s car, Meadows said. Officers found a gun inside during the traffic stop and arrested Copeland, charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
After Copeland’s arrest, investigators believe Jackson tried to delete his Instagram account, which included photos of gang activity, a South Fulton police spokesman confirmed. Jackson is also accused of trying to disable Copeland’s cellphone, which had been confiscated as evidence.
Authorities have not said how long Jackson and Copeland have been in a relationship.
According to Meadows, Copeland is one of the subjects of an operation being conducted by the Multi-Agency Crack Enforcement task force, which is targeting drug dealers and gang members across the metro Atlanta area.
Jackson was booked into the Fulton County Jail the same day she was arrested. She was released one day later on $100,000 bond, according to online jail records.
“We hold our officers strictly accountable for upholding the laws of our city as well as their oaths of office,” Meadows said. “Our actions in this case send a clear message that anything less will not be tolerated.”
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