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Chief Turner: 'No Decision To Disband Red Dog Unit'
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Officers Investigated After Strip Search
Eric Philips reports
ATLANTA -- Atlanta Police Chief George Turner called a special meeting Friday with members of the department's Red Dog unit following allegations of inappropriate conduct by some of its members.
RAW: Atlanta Police Chief Addresses Red Dog Probe
Turner spoke to Channel 2 Action News reporter Eric Philips after the meeting. Philips was the first reporter to investigate the victims' claims and began piecing together the story after two men came forward and complained about possible officer misconduct during a June traffic stop on Fulton Street.
"There's a lot of stuff that's happening around that unit. I thought it was the right thing for me to do ... just bring them together and let them know what was happening," Turner said.
Atlanta police are currently conducting an internal investigation into the accusations.
"We're very close to concluding the investigation," Turner said. The three officers involved have been placed on administrative duty pending disciplinary decisions.
When asked whether he planned to disband the Red Dog unit, which has been under scrutiny before, Turner responded: "No. I’ve not made that decision."
In an exclusive interview with Philips, the passenger in the car said members of the Red Dog unit pulled over his friend's vehicle and forced the driver, Shawn Venegas, to pull down his pants on the side of the road in broad daylight. He says officers conducted a body cavity search for drugs on Venegas. No drugs were ever found, passenger Brian Kidd said.
