Douglas city officials issued a press release Thursday afternoon in defense of Commissioner Olivia Pearson in regards to her questionable interfernce with a recent traffic stop conducted by Douglas police. Despite incident reports filed by Douglas police who stated Pearson’s actions endangered the lives of officers and citizens, officials say she did no wrong and will not face any criminal charges.
A complete detail of the incident, along with video footage, can be viewed on DouglasNow.com by clicking here.
The press release issued by the city on Thursday states, “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.”
“Our primary objective is the safety of our citizens and employees”‘ said City Manager Terrell Jacobs. “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.”
Police Chief Gary Casteloes said, “I received the report several days after the incident occurred and had staff investigate the stop for any violations and training issues. 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.”
Officials added the Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducted an independent investigation and determined that Commissioner Pearson did not violate any laws.
“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,” Pearson said in the press release. “At no time did I ever proceed into the officers’ immediate area of their involvement which the video recordings substantiate. 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.”