Felony child abuse charges against two Atlanta police officers were dropped Tuesday, according to court documents.
Lt. James Whitmire, 50, and his wife, Sgt. Carolyn Whitmire, 44, were charged with first-degree cruelty to children in April by the Paulding County District Attorney's Office.
The couple was suspended without pay but have been reinstated by the Atlanta Police Department, said one of their attorneys, Mary Huber.
"[The Whitmires] go back to work [Thursday]," Huber said. They will assume their previous positions and be paid for time missed, she said.
The couple was arrested following charges of "physical abuse" involving Carolyn Whitmire's 15-year-old son at their home in Dallas, Ga. James Whitmire, the teen's stepfather, was accused of punching the boy in the head, causing a knot. His wife was alleged to have hit the youth with a power cord five to six times, according to arrest warrant affidavits.
The accusations came directly from the boy, the Whitmire's criminal attorney said at the time.
"They adamantly deny any sort of wrongdoing," said the attorney, Theo Sereebutra, back in April. "They are career law enforcement officers. ... I know that this is all an absolute fabrication."
Sereebutra said the boy had not reacted well to the Whitmires' attempts at disciplining him for smoking, drinking and falling grades.
The boy now lives with his biological father.
Neither the Whitmires or their criminal lawyer could be reached for comment Wednesday night.
Carolyn Whitmire, a 23-year police veteran, was once a participant on the "American Gladiators" television show. She works on patrol in southwest Atlanta while her husband, with the department since 1990, is stationed at the northwest Atlanta precinct.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
