DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson apologized Wednesday for a recent incident in which he reportedly was intoxicated and verbally abusive at a Decatur-area bar after claiming a woman had stolen his wallet.
Watson, who represents eastern DeKalb, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he had gone to the Tanqueray Lounge on Glenwood Road on July 12 to console himself over the death of his younger sister the previous weekend.
The former state legislator was not charged in the dust-up but had to be calmed down by the officer, who wrote in an incident report that the commissioner drove off in his white Mercedes but returned one minute later, saying, "I'm going to let someone take me home."
DeKalb police Officer O.B. Parker, who was working security at the club, said in an incident report that he witnessed Watson consume "several alcoholic beverages," and that the commissioner's speech was slurred, his gait was unsteady and his eyes were "glossy" and "red."
"I was a little despondent and upset over my wallet," Watson said in a phone interview with the AJC. "I have apologized to the constituents and I will apologize to the officer."
Watson admitted he was in no shape to drive.
"I had a moment where I was trying to console myself and I had a few drinks. I at least had enough sense not to drive myself home," he said. "Hopefully voters will forgive me that."
Before leaving the club, the incident report states, Watson engaged in a profanity-laced tirade directed at two women he believed had pilfered his wallet, which contained $200. He acknowledged he did not witness them steal it.
"I'm going to act a [expletive deleted] fool in the morning," said Watson, as quoted in the report. "One of those two [expletive deleted] stole my wallet."
Parker wrote that he encouraged Watson to "behave like a public official," but the commissioner continued to direct slurs toward the two women.
One of them, Sheneeka Latessa Bradsher, of Hampton, Va., was briefly arrested for disorderly conduct after ignoring Parker's warnings to calm down, according to the report.
But the officer chose to give her a warning because, "I did not feel I would be justified in arresting Ms. Bradsher for disorderly conduct and not arrest Mr. Watson."
Watson was allowed to leave the bar due to "circumstances beyond my control," Parker wrote. He did not elaborate.
The commissioner, who told the officer he would be contacting Police Chief William O'Brien and Asst. Chief Dale Holmes, said in the phone interview that he did not receive preferential treatment because of his position.
DeKalb police said in a statement the department's internal affairs unit is investigating "to determine if departmental policies and procedures were followed and appropriate actions were taken."
Police declined further comment.
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