Two Georgia Officers Accused Of Running Criminal Check On Obama

DECATUR, Ga. — Authorities are investigating two Atlanta-area police officers accused of using government computers to run a criminal background check on President Barack Obama.

DeKalb County police spokeswoman Sheila Edwards confirmed Thursday that officers Ryan White and C.M. Route have been placed on paid administrative leave while the July 20 incident is investigated. She said both officers have worked for the department for about two years.

County public safety director William Miller said in a prepared statement Wednesday the officers' actions will "not be tolerated by the county."

"I want everyone to know that we take these allegations very seriously," he said. "We expect our officers to adhere to professional standards and departmental policy. Furthermore, we do not and will not condone the inappropriate use of county equipment or resources."

Miller said the police department was notified by the U.S. Secret Service that DeKalb County computers were used to run a check on Obama. He did not say what the officers' motive may have been.

Edwards would not comment on possible punishment for the officers but said there are multiple factors to consider, including violation of internal department policy and a possible criminal aspect related to invasion of privacy.

Comments

[firewmn]

well its obvious **THESE COPS** weren't detectives..!..

[huffingt]

Curiosity ki lls the cat.
Administratve leave su cks

[AnAmerican]

Why run a background check on Obama, when...like the birthers...you can just make things up?

[RevBookburn]

Paid leave? These jokers need to be permanently gone from their profession. What an insult to everyone who experienced excess from the 'justice' system.

[xlntcat]

Now these 'good ole boys' just wanted to see if the prez was one of them. Georgia would be well advised to run more thorough criminal checks on law enforcement officers who aren't exactly known for their law abiding ways.

[TJCole]

They should have just called Jonathon Turley or Bruce Fein they already said Obama and Holder are breaking beau coup laws...!

[alguien]

no doubt orly taitz can help 'em out too.

[Donnat]

Are these the same two who wanted to frame that girl for the accident they caused? What's up with the cops these days?

[nunzia]

"these days"??''

[blaqntelligence]

For all the criminal/o­ffensive/u­nacceptabl­e behavior we witness, they are better than they've been in the past.

[AmericanDreamWarrior]

These clowns, along with officers that are willing to t@zer 70yr old grandmas and @rrest a man in his own home or police officers in New Orleans that did reprehens!ble things to its citizenry, these are the folks that give good cops a bad name. Has the g un and badge gone to their heads? Have they forgotten what they're in the job for? Wonder what they think "protect and serve" means?

I'm disappointed that Obama hasn't fulfilled his campaign promise of over-turning GWB's unconst!tutional policies that v¡olate our freedoms. Why is the Patr¡ot Act still in existence? Has P0sse Com!tatus been reinstated? Sad how our great nation has been degraded to some watered down version of fasc!sm. I'm more worried about this, rather than a public option giving us soc!alism. What does this matter if we don't have the freedoms that make us American?

Its amazing to me how our "patriot¡c" conservat¡ves care more about ousting our President then they do these very realy threats to our democracy. Guess if it would have been Obama and not GWB that forced the nation to accept loss of freedoms in exchange for "secur!ty", it would be a different story? Maybe those officers need to be charged as suspected "terror¡sts" using the Patr¡ot Act as justification to withhold their rights, give them a taste of their own medicine, maybe then we'd see some of our const¡tutional rights restored? Mmmm probably not. Wonder what it will take to right so many wr0ngs?

[Softnsweet]

Give him time. It's only been 7 months.

[lordmi]

and those reps will do more and more.
Rerps are just destructive.
On every place in stead of doing their job, they collecr gossips and create their fairy tales.
That is because - their base is just Idiots, who can hardly read and watch just FOX.
We really need to improve educative level of population

[bobbyperu]

What a surprise! A couple of r@ci st cops in georgia.

[KimberlyKay]

At the heart of all of this is hate spewed over our air waves. Now two police officers in Georgia who were drawn into absurd nonsense will probably lose their jobs. Perhaps in the future, those on our radios (and t.v.s) will think twice? Probably not-- but hopefully, more of us will stop listening altogether.

[Skiwee]

If that is the case, that extreme right pundits are influencing their supporters to do crazy things, then it's good that these two police officers are now under investigation.

If they are so easily swayed, then they don't belong in the police force. The prospect is pretty scary.

[JoeBlough]

We seem to have a lot of birthers in the Southern police departments. Just can't stand the president.

[AkashicRecords]

Personally, I think Obama answered honestly. Why do we think we can edit his words? Our words are not edited. We are protected by free speach. Yet the president is raked over the coals for one little choice of words. People do act stupidly sometimes, and we need to be able to acknowledge it, just like we see lies from truth better these days. Obama has a right to his opinion. I've never seen someone choose his words so carefully. This was just the mainstream media driving the conversation.

Still, it's kind of good this all happened because it makes people more aware of the world around them.

[KimberlyKay]

interesting name you've got there. Are you like General Patton on the quest, or just interested?

I'm not questing, just curious having read a little about the record that may be out there.

[ccmd]

yet another instance where the police acted "stupidly".

[Solja]

FIRE THEM NOW!

[PINO]

AWARD THEM MEDALS!

[caseyasmith]

R.A.C.I.S.T m.o.n.g.r.e.l

[amistad]

You win the r 3dn3ck inbr3d k lan member award!

Congrats!

[slocomgp]

For what?????

[Liberalforsure]

They are no doubt republicans!