Grand Jury Clears Former Bartow Schools Police Chief

CARTERSVILLE, GA — A Bartow County grand jury has declined to indict the former police chief of the Bartow County Schools Police Department related to a traffic incident that led to his resignation.

The grand jury on Sept. 26 issued a no-bill of indictment on reckless conduct, criminal damage to property in the second degree and criminal trespass against Charles "Dan" Knowles, said Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Rosemary Greene.

Knowles resigned nearly a year ago as Bartow schools police chief after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation began looking into allegations stemming from a traffic accident in front of Cass High School. The former chief was initially placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. However, former Schools Superintendent Dr. John Harper "felt it was in the best interest of Bartow County to accept a letter of resignation from Knowles," BCSS spokesperson Alisha Evans added.

Evans originally told Patch that Knowles was "side-swiped" by a vehicle while directing traffic during the morning of Monday, Oct. 23 in front of the school on Cass-White Road at Colonel Way. The Georgia State Patrol investigated the collision, and noted "conflicting statements" were made during its probe.

The driver of the vehicle in question, a Cartersville woman, challenged Knowles' account of the accident, noting she never hit the chief and that his injury could have occurred as he was walking towards her vehicle while directing traffic. She also accused the chief of throwing his flashlight at her car, shattering the rear-view window of her SUV. The motorist shared those photos with Patch following the collision.

Due to the concerns and those inconsistencies, Greene called in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to review the situation, the GBI previously told Patch. The Georgia State Patrol did not file any charges against Knowles or the driver.

Evans said Knowles had been employed with the school system since 2005. He was initially hired as the coordinator of safety and security and was granted the title of director of campus police in 2011. The Bartow County School Board in December 2017 appointed Randall Burch to serve as the school system's police chief.

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