North Georgia police chief, officer resign after being arrested by GBI

A North Georgia police chief and one of his officers resigned after the GBI arrested them on falsifying records charges.

Fairmount police Chief Chandler Cagle Walter, 31, and Fairmount police Officer Olan Mark Lowe, 48, both of Calhoun, were charged Friday, the GBI said. Both resigned later that day, according to a news release by Fairmount Mayor Steven Brannon.

They each face a count of false official certificates and writings by officers, the GBI said in a news release.

The GBI began its investigation June 11 after being contacted by the Gordon County District Attorney, the release said. The DA accused both men of falsifying Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) records. The specific records that were allegedly doctored were not provided.

In addition, Walter and Lowe improperly used two law enforcement networks during a test, the release said. The networks were the GBI’s Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) and the FBI’s Crime Justice Information Services (CJIS).

Due to the accusations, Fairmount city officials placed Walter and Lowe on administrative leave June 15, shortly after the GBI’s investigation began, Brannon’s release said. As of Monday afternoon, the city’s website had removed Walter’s name from its list of city officials.

According to POST records, Cagle started his law enforcement career with Marietta police in 2015. He briefly worked for Euharlee police in 2016 before joining Fairmount police. He was promoted to corporal in May 2019 and became police chief in January.

Credit: Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training

Credit: Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training

Lowe’s lengthy career began in 1993 with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office. He’s also worked for Canton police, Jasper police, the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Office of Investigations. He joined Fairmount as a part-time officer in 2018 before transitioning to full-time status in March 2019.

Neither officer has any disciplinary history on their file.

Both men were booked into the Gordon County jail. They were each granted a $2,500 bond, according to the Gordon County Sheriff's Office.

— AJC data specialist Jennifer Peebles contributed to this article.

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