Atlanta police recruits dismissed after gun fired during argument with security, department says

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Atlanta police said they dismissed four recruits after one of them fired a gun during an argument with a security guard at an East Point business.

“The Atlanta Police Department holds all members of our organization to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and conduct – both on and off duty,” the department said in a statement Tuesday. “We can confirm that four police recruits have been separated from the department following off-duty conduct that did not meet the standards of our agency.”

Police said the recruits were recently asked to leave “a business outside of our jurisdiction in the City of East Point” and “became involved in a dispute with a member of the establishment’s security team, during which one recruit discharged a firearm.”

The department added: “The recruits were not celebrating their Police Academy graduation, as they had not yet completed their required training.”

Police said they opened an internal investigation on the incident as soon as they learned about it.

They did not give further details.

“Actions that compromise the public’s trust or jeopardize community safety will not be tolerated,” the department said. “This incident does not reflect the values or expectations of the Atlanta Police Department.”