UPDATE: Mitchell Co. Sheriff’s deputy charged with DUI in Dougherty Co.
ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - A Mitchell County Sheriff’s deputy is facing DUI charges after being arrested by Georgia State Patrol (GSP) early Sunday morning.
At around 2:36 a.m., GSP troopers performed a traffic stop on a silver Ford F-150 heading south on GA 91, near mile marker 1, in Dougherty County, according to GSP. During the traffic stop, troopers noticed the driver showed signs of impairment.
GSP said that after troopers asked the driver to exit the vehicle, the driver identified himself as Mitchell County Sheriff’s Deputy David Hart. After conducting a DUI investigation, troopers placed Hart into custody.
After taking a blood sample, the driver was taken to Dougherty County Jail and charged with speeding and DUI, according to GSP.
According to an incident report, Hart tested positive for .158 grams on his breathalyzer test, which passes Georgia’s .08 limit. He was also found to be going 77 mph in a 55 mph speed limit area, per the report.
After the Mitchell County sheriff told WALB that he planned to “deal with it” on Monday morning, the sheriff’s office released this statement:
“Upon further investigation into the arrest involving David Hart, I have suspended him without pay and disciplined him accordingly for violating Sheriff’s Office policy.”
Hart has reportedly since been released from custody, according to officials.
The sheriff went on to say
“He’s worked with me 17 years and has never had a write up. Just been a model deputy, but if you do something — there’s consequences for your actions.”
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