ATLANTA — An Atlanta Police Department major has been demoted to captain following a DUI arrest by the Cobb County Police Department.
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Atlanta Police Major Kevin Knapp was arrested on Sept. 13 and charged with DUI, failure to maintain lane, and driving too fast for conditions. The arrest occurred just after midnight, and seven Cobb County officers responded to the scene.
Devin Barrington-Ward, a spokesperson for the National Police Accountability Project, has been vocal about the need for accountability, stating, “I think what would be appropriate is relieving him of duty. You are a leader in this department.”
The incident marks a rare demotion within the Atlanta Police Department’s command staff due to a DUI arrest.
“If it was you or I, we know that we would not have a police report that has only a one-sentence outline. We would have a full report of what happened, who did it, why they did it and arrest warrants would be issued along with body cam footage released,” Barrington-Ward told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernades.
An APD spokesperson mentioned that it has been years since someone of such a high rank was demoted for similar reasons.
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The arrest report for Major Knapp’s incident is notably sparse, consisting of a single line with no detailed narrative about the crash itself. This lack of detail has raised concerns about transparency and accountability.
Knapp lives two and a half miles from the crash site. Attempts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful, as no one answered the door at his home.
“The public has a right to know what type of activities and behavior law enforcement officials are engaged in,” Barrington-Ward said.
This case is part of a broader pattern of arrests and investigations involving APD officers this year, with Knapp being the eighth employee to face such scrutiny.
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