Comm. Olivia Pearson was recently criticized by some local citizens and media for her actions on Sat., Dec. 5, 2015, when she unintentionally became involved in a traffic stop conducted by Sgt. Stacey Williams, Cpl. Chad Williams and Officer Patrick West.
Initially, City of Douglas officials reviewed the details of this incident and concluded there should not be any drastic actions taken against Commissioner Pearson that would remove her from office or other criminal charges, as opinionated by some local citizens. City Manager Terrell Jacobs states, “Our primary objective is the safety of our citizens and employees. We [City of Douglas] have learned that it was not the intention of Commissioner Pearson to knowingly involve herself with the actions being carried out by the Douglas Police Department.”
“I received the report several days after the incident occurred and had staff investigate the stop for any violations and training issues”, says Douglas Police Chief Gary Casteloes. “Staff did look into the occurrence and consulted with several legal advisors in regard to the incident. Based upon the totality of all the information and actions that occurred during the stop, the Douglas Police Department is not recommending or filing any charges, in regards to this incident, on Pearson. We are also addressing several training issues in regards to this incident, as well as, the city plans to adopt some protocol that would be practical for elected officials.”
Due to recent public concern regarding the incident, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducted an independent investigation and determined that Commissioner Pearson did not violate any laws and there are no charges to be filed against her.
“On December 5, 2015, I saw an incident taking place and as a concerned elected official AND a concerned citizen, I attempted to find out what was going on,” says Commissioner Pearson. “At NO time did I ever proceed into the officer’s immediate area of their involvement which the video recordings substantiate.”
Commissioner Pearson added, “I have been an elected City Commissioner for the City of Douglas, Georgia for over 16 years, and it has been my intent to ensure that the city flourishes. I am truly grateful that the true nature of this incident, and my actions, have been revealed by the decision of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. I have not violated any laws, I did not intend to violate any laws, and I will continue to serve the citizens of Douglas, Georgia with the upmost respect and dedication, which I have done for the past 16 years. In addition, I humbly thank Mayor Tony Paulk, City Manager Terrell Jacobs and Chief Gary Casteloes for their discussion and dialogue for plans to promote the development of protocol and procedures for elected officials on how to effectively approach and interact with related types of incidents in the future.”
Mayor Tony Paulk and Douglas officials would like the community to know our police officers are here to protect and serve the citizens of Douglas and remind citizens to properly interact with law enforcement, especially during active and official police business.
