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. They were 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.
James Whitmire, the teen's stepfather, was accused of punching the boy in the head. 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 from the boy, the Whitmires' attorney said at the time. "They adamantly deny any sort of wrongdoing," attorney Theo Sereebutra said in April. Sereebutra said the boy had not reacted well to attempts at discipline.
The boy now lives with his biological father.
Neither the Whitmires nor 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.
Her husband has been with the department since 1990.
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