In the middle of a two-week suspension, controversial police officer Maurice Lawson has resigned from the Cobb County Police Department.
Lawson's resignation letter, dated Thursday, did not list a reason. Police Chief John Houser said in a statement Friday that during the suspension the department "reviewed additional videos and additional policy issues were discovered," concerning Lawson.
The statement continued: "We will be reiterating the importance of courtesy and compliance with policy to our members since unbecoming conduct reflects discredit upon the individual and the Department and will not be tolerated.
Lawson’s attorney wrote in a press release Friday that the officer thought “the current media attention and the scrutiny anticipated upon his return to duty would have proved to be an unnecessary distraction to him and the men and women of the Cobb County Police Department.”
In his resignation letter, Lawson wrote.: “Please accept this as two weeks notice of my voluntary resignation of my position as a Cobb County Police Officer. I appreciate the people I’ve met and worked with, and the training I’ve received.”
Lawson wrote that it was an “honor” to serve citizens of Cobb County in the second paragraph of the letter
The chief’s statement said Lawson’s resignation was accepted effective Friday and the two week notice requirement was waived.
Lawson was involved in two high-profile incidents last year, the latest being a November traffic stop which was captured on the officer's dash board video camera.
During the encounter, Lawson can be heard telling motorist Brian Baker, an African American middle school teacher: “I don’t care about your people.”
In addition to that statement, Lawson is heard on the video asking Baker if he wanted to get out of his vehicle to talk. And after Baker drove away, Lawson can be heard profanely telling his fellow officers at the scene that “I lose my cool, man, every time.”
Baker is heard on the video being difficult with Lawson and other officers, calling one of them “gestapo” during the encounter.
The traffic stop sparked outrage in some members of the community, who thought the motives behind Lawson’s comments were racial — claims that Lawson denied. The stop also led to separate investigations by the police command staff and the Cobb County Attorney’s Office.
There was also plenty of support for Lawson. A go-fund-me page was established for Lawson with a goal of raising $5,000. It surpassed the goal in just 12 days.
Cobb police released about 500 pages of documents related to the investigation Jan. 15 — including Chief John Houser's decision to suspend Lawson for 80 hours and prescribe a variety of training upon his return on Feb. 5.
“In this incident, you became angry, argumentative and lost emotional control,” Houser wrote to Lawson in handing down the discipline. “It’s paramount to remember … it is your job to maintain your professionalism at all times.”
The other incident involving Lawson happened over the summer, when he aggressively followed Cobb Commissioner Lisa Cupid in a unmarked car late at night. The encounter left Cupid shaken, and alleging racial profiling. Lawson was cleared of wrongdoing in that incident, but in its wake Cupid has established her own Citizen Review Panel to examine complaints against the department.
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