For the second time in two weeks, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office arrested one of its own, Sheriff Pat Labat said Wednesday.
Rice Street jail Detention Officer Jessie Scott, 23, was arrested and charged with five counts of violation of oath of public officer, two counts of distributing obscene materials, and one count each of impersonating a public officer, willful obstruction of law enforcement officer and unauthorized possession of prohibited items by inmates, the sheriff’s office said. Scott was also fired Wednesday, Labat said.
It was the latest in a string of arrests involving officers at metro Atlanta jails. Earlier this month, Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen announced the arrest of the eighth jail employee or contract worker since he took over the office earlier this year.
Scott was hired as a detention officer Dec. 7, 2022, and was a probationary employee, the sheriff’s office said. He was being held on $25,000 bond at the North Annex Jail in Alpharetta. The investigation into the contraband taken into the Rice Street jail remained under investigation.
“When an officer chooses to violate their oath and display behavior that compromises our facilities, they must be held accountable,” Labat said in a statement. “The termination of two officers in just two weeks demonstrates that we are beyond reproach to ensure the safety of all employees and the inmates in our care and custody. Our Jail Investigations and Criminal Investigations Units are working diligently to investigate employee misconduct and bring these offenders to justice.”
Last week, in a separate incident, a Fulton jailer was arrested after she allegedly had an “inappropriate” relationship with a male inmate, investigators said.
Latasha Baker, 37, is facing charges of possession of prohibited items by an inmate and violation of oath by a public officer, according to the sheriff’s office. She was arrested Nov. 16 and fired the following day. On Sunday, Baker was released from jail on her own recognizance, booking records show.
“I am committed to holding each and every employee accountable to the oath they have taken to protect and serve our community,” Labat wrote in a statement. “The actions of this one officer are certainly not a reflection of the rest of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. The introduction of contraband to any of our facilities will not be tolerated.”
It was the second stint with the sheriff’s office for Baker, who was rehired in June and assigned to Union City’s South Fulton Annex. She was previously a detention officer from February 2016 to January 2022 but resigned, according to Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council records.
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