ATLANTA — The Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations says his agency will need more resources as more large police departments are requesting state agents to investigate local officer-involved shootings.
Channel 2’s Tony Thomas has learned both Gwinnett and DeKalb County police met with GBI Director Vernon Keenan last week and formally asked the GBI to handle all officer involved shootings that result in death or life threatening situations.
“How much of a strain is this putting on your department?” Thomas asked Keenan.
“It puts a lot of strain on the agency. In that these are extremely serious investigations, there is no margin of error in the investigation,” Keenan replied. “We are extremely busy working these cases.”
Keenan said now that DeKalb and Gwinnett police are using his agency, only Atlanta and Cobb County police investigate their own officer-involved shootings.
“We average one a week in the state,” Keenan said.
Thomas obtained a memo that Gwinnett County Police Chief Butch Ayers sent to his officers last Thursday.
It read in part, “This change in policy is in no way to be construed as questioning or doubting the capability and integrity of any employee, unit, section or division in this department. The current environment throughout the nation has shown the intense public scrutiny of officer use of force, especially deadly force. The policy revisions must mandate external and independent criminal investigations to meet the critical need of assuring the public of clear transparency regarding these types of incidents.”
“We want to make sure the public has our trust in the jobs we do,” said Gwinnett County Police Spokeswoman Cpl. Michele Pihera.
When DeKalb officers wounded an alleged carjacker Monday afternoon, the GBI was quickly on the scene.
Previously, DeKalb, like most major metro departments, would’ve handled the case themselves.
Authorities say all that has changed after Ferguson, Missouri, when the shooting of an unarmed man stirred protests nationwide.
“Honestly, it’s like putting a Band-Aid on a wound that needs sutures,” said community activist and Save Our Selves President and Founder Marcus Coleman.
He frequently speaks about officer-involved shootings across the state.
“I can’t jump for joy on a step that should have already been taken, because it still doesn’t prevent the loss of life,” Coleman said.
Keenan said his agency is now preparing for a lot more work.
“Quite frankly, this is going to require us to have additional resources. What we are praying for is we don’t have back-to-back-to-back shootings,” Keenan said.
Keenan told Thomas he has a plan in place where agents will be rushed in from other parts of the state, if needed, to help out on metro area officer-involved cases.
Keenan also said it’s not a problem unique to Georgia. He’s heard from his counterparts all across the Southeast.
“The number one issue facing the bureaus of investigation is the officer-involved shootings that we are now being called upon to investigate,” Keenan said.
