The DeKalb County Internal Affairs Unit has completed its investigation into an incident involving a DeKalb County Police Department officer and a trans woman at Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library.
The officer, who has been identified as Officer GA Weaver, was issued violations regarding professional image, body worn camera, off-duty employment, and duty to read/understand/comply with orders, according to a memo from DeKalb County Police Sgt. Joel T. Marshall. The internal affairs department, Marshall notes in the memo, is an administrative fact-finding unit that is “not involved with any disciplinary action.”
The investigation report has been placed in Weaver’s employee file, according to the memo.
In October, Sasha Swinson, a Brookhaven trans woman, was allegedly misgendered and verbally accosted by Weaver, who was on duty at the library for early voting. The completion of the investigation makes Swinson hopeful, she told Rough Draft Atlanta.
“I’m not sure exactly what practical effects this will have, but it is certainly good news,” Swinson said after getting the investigation update on Dec. 8.
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•Trans woman’s Tucker library encounter sparks investigation by DeKalb County Police
Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, counts the close of the investigation as a win even if disciplinary action is not taken.
“This shows that the system worked the way it should,” Graham said. “Hopefully, the practical effect will be increased attention to proper training.”
The police department had previously provided cultural awareness and “fostering positive community relations” courses through the Georgia Public Safety Training Center for several years, Blaine Clark, DKPD public information officer, said in a statement.
“The DeKalb County Police Department will continue expanding our training programs to ensure our officers are equipped to serve every individual with fairness, empathy, and professionalism,” Clark said.