A coalition of community activist groups gathered outside of the Cobb County Police Department Thursday to call for Officer Maurice Lawson’s termination, and an investigation of the department’s command staff.
Lawson is the white officer who pulled over African-American motorist Brian Baker last month and told him "I don't care about your people." The department has determined that Lawson committed a "serious" violation of the department's code of conduct, and will inform him of the proposed disciplinary action to be taken against him Monday. The discipline will not be made public until the end of the process, which gives Lawson 48 hours to address the charges.
But just as concerning to the group gathered Thursday is the police department’s command staff, specifically Capt. J.D. Adcock who unilaterally reduced to warnings the tickets issued to Baker for speeding and failure to maintain his lane.
“We are concerned about the integrity within this organization,” said Derrick Boazman, a community activist and former Atlanta council member. “The tickets had been issued for a week, and yet somehow (Adcock) manipulated the judicial system to make them go away.
“Were they hoping that once the tickets went away that Mr. Baker and this coalition would go away? This is a serious problem.”
A police spokeswoman declined to comment or answer The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s questions Thursday. But on Tuesday, Public Safety Director Sam Heaton issued a statement calling for an investigation into why police command staff met privately with Baker and his attorney, why the dash board videos were turned over outside of the department’s normal procedures, and how the tickets were reduced to warnings.
Police have already determined that Lawson's conduct violated departmental policy, saying it brought discredit to the department and himself.
A police sergeant “thoroughly investigated your concerns and concluded that Officer Lawson violated our department’s Code of Conduct during his interaction with you,” says a Nov. 24 letter to Baker from Adcock. “Misconduct as demonstrated by Officer Lawson is a very serious violation of our code of conduct and not considered lightly.”
The groups on Thursday attempted to hand-delivered a letter to Cobb Police Chief John Houser, but no one from police leadership would come out into the lobby to meet with them. Instead, the letter was handed to a clerk who promised to give it to the chief.
Lawson is the same officer that Commissioner Lisa Cupid, who is African-American, accused of profiling and aggressively following her during the early morning hours of July 16. Cupid wrote a memo to county leadership saying Lawson was there to "harass and intimidate" rather than protect and serve.
“Officer Lawson’s pattern of behavior jeopardizes the well-being of citizens of Cobb County and anyone traveling through the county,” says the letter delivered to Chief Houser Thursday. “If you fail to act on removing an officer who has clearly stated his disdain for African-American people, you endorse and support his mindset and behavior in your police department.”
The press conference happened one week after the AJC first reported the traffic stop involving Lawson and two other Cobb officers. The interaction between Lawson and Baker was captured on Lawson's dash board video.
After Lawson gives Baker the tickets, he appears to mock the middle school teacher asking permission to leave the scene. Lawson then says: ““Leave. Go away. Go to Fulton County. I don’t care about your people, man, go.”
When Baker questions Lawson about the statement, the officer asks: “Do you want to step out (of the car) and talk to me.”
And after Baker drives off, Lawson can be heard on the video telling his fellow officers: “I lose my cool, man, every time. Why do I got to deal with (stuff) like that. This is the (expletive) America we live in, ain’t it?”
Ben Williams, president of the Cobb branch of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said he is particularly disappointed in the department’s command staff.
“I think this is deeper than what we’ve seen from officer Lawson,” Williams said. “I support an investigation of the command structure. We expect also to be told what is being investigated, and we expect a report that is transparent so we as citizens can understand what has come of the investigation.”
About the Author
