Atlanta Police Face Scrutiny Over Officer Conduct

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ATLANTA, Two civil rights organizations are urging the Atlanta Police Department (APD) to release internal records related to recent off-duty incidents involving officers and recruits. The call for transparency comes amid rising public concern over how the department handles disciplinary actions.

The National Police Accountability Project (NPAP) and the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) are seeking internal records involving Officers Melvin Potter and Garrett Rolfe, both of whom have been involved in separate high-profile cases.

Officer Melvin Potter is currently on paid leave after fatally shooting 38-year-old Devon Anderson outside a bar on Old National Highway in 2024. At the time of the incident, Potter was reportedly on probation for a 2021 DUI charge in Coweta County. APD has not released the results of its internal investigation.

Officer Garrett Rolfe, previously involved in the 2020 fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks, is now facing a simple battery charge following a separate bar altercation. Rolfe was placed on administrative leave. Charges from the Brooks case were dropped in 2022, and that shooting was ruled justified.

The request from NPAP and SCHR also includes internal documents concerning four police recruits who were dismissed in July 2025 after an off-duty altercation outside the U-Bar nightclub in East Point. One recruit, Wendy Celestin, allegedly discharged a firearm during the incident, according to initial reports.

The two advocacy groups have requested access to disciplinary records, incident reports, and termination files. They say these documents are necessary to evaluate whether APD has adequate systems in place to respond to internal misconduct.

“Officers who abuse power, whether in uniform or at a bar after hours, are a threat to public safety,” said Tiffany Roberts, Director of Public Policy at SCHR, in a public statement. “We’re demanding records because Atlanta residents deserve to know who’s policing their communities, and what happens when those officers cross the line.”

The organizations are also calling for the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety and Legal Administration to hold a formal hearing on how the department manages off-duty conduct, delays in disciplinary procedures, and transparency issues that may affect public confidence.