Capt. Ruth M. Stringer was named interim sheriff in DeKalb County on Tuesday, replacing Jeff Mann during a 40-day suspension that stems from his arrest for alleged indecency.
Stringer, a 27-year veteran of the DeKalb Sheriff's Office, was appointed to the position Tuesday by DeKalb Superior Court Chief Judge Courtney Johnson.
Sheriff Mann, who was elected to a four-year term last November, was suspended from office Monday by Gov. Nathan Deal following an investigation into allegations that he exposed himself in Piedmont Park on May 6, then fled from police.
Mann has pleaded not guilty to charges of indecency and obstruction. His trial is scheduled for July 7.
Stringer, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, garnered media attention in September 2009 when she rescued a 13-year-old girl from a sexual assault at Stone Mountain.
She was planning to begin a 5-mile run when she heard muffled cries from a public restroom and saw a man’s feet sticking out from one of the stalls. She ordered the man release the child who was inside the stall with him, then helped arrest him before he could harm the girl.
Stringer began her career as a detention officer and achieved the rank of deputy sheriff captain in the Training, Background and Recruitment Division in 2010.
“With the support of my more than 800 dedicated colleagues at the Sheriff’s Office, I will continue our commitment to the safety and security of the communities we serve and to performing at a level of excellence in all that we do,” Stringer said in a statement.
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