By George Chidi
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two Gwinnett County sheriff’s deputies are facing obstruction charges after facing off against Gwinnett County police in a domestic dispute.
Lt. Derrick P. Locklear and Cpl. Rose Linder were arrested March 4 at their home in Bethlehem and charged with obstructing or hindering law enforcement officers. Locklear was also charged with simple assault, according to Gwinnett County police incident reports.
Both officers work at Gwinnett County’s detention center, said Capt. Greg Thompson of the Sheriff’s Office’s professional standards unit.
Both officers are out of jail on bond and are away from work on paid administrative leave, pending completion of an internal affairs investigation, he said. Thompson refused further comment.
Gwinnett police were told by dispatchers before they arrived that the suspect in a domestic disturbance call was a law enforcement officer.
Police found Locklear screaming obscenities on a concrete pad porch when they arrived, according to the incident report.
Locklear was pacing back and forth and appeared to have been drinking, according to the report. When he picked up a child’s bicycle, one police officer drew a Taser and held it to his side.
Locklear put down the bike but remained verbally aggressive, incredulous that the officer had drawn the stun device, according to the report.
Police arrested Locklear after he lunged at an officer, according to the report. As police went to cuff him on the ground, Locklear swung and kicked at them, according to the report.
The circumstances that led police to come to the house were not disclosed in the incident report.
Instead, arresting officers recorded the information on a supplemental report that police refused to offer to the public.
Acting police spokeswoman Valerie Southard would not describe the contents of the report when asked. The incident report also did not explain why Linder was arrested.
Copyright 2007 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution