DeKalb Sheriff Mann Suspends Himself For 'Conduct Unbecoming'

DECATUR, GA -- DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey Mann will serve a self-imposed suspension for "conduct unbecoming," he told staff in a memo Wednesday, according to news reports. Mann is putting himself on one week's suspension, beginning Sunday.

The move comes as Mann tries to stem repercussions, including the loss of his job, following his arrest on obstruction and indecency charges in Piedmont Park earlier this month. Mann has indicated that he will not step down despite a governor-appointed investigation into his arrest. Through his attorney, he has also requested an emergency hearing to block the probe. SIGN UP: To get notified of more local news like this, click here to sign up for the Decatur Patch. Or find your Atlanta-area town here. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.

Mann was arrested May 13 for allegedly exposing himself to an Atlanta police officer. Video from a Midtown homeowner's security camera shows the sheriff fleeing from the lawman. The grainy footage, which was released days after the arrest, could be vital evidence in a case that has made national headlines. It shows a figure purported to be Mann running, followed seconds later by a police officer wearing reflective gear.

In a memo Wednesday to staff at the DeKalb Sheriff's Office, Mann apologized and said that he will inflict the maximum suspension on himself under his office's Code of Conduct. Below is the memo in full:

"Each day I ask the employees of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office to perform in public and in private at the highest professional standards. Being in law enforcement, I know we are called to be model citizens and to remain mindful of keeping the public trust. As such, I cannot ask my employees to abide by a code of conduct unless I am willing to subject myself to it as well. In fact, I must be held to an even higher standard than my employees as it relates to our Code of Conduct policy and schedule of penalties. As a dedicated public servant for nearly 25 years, I know the importance of serving with integrity. It is for this reason that I am imposing upon myself discipline under our Code.
I am disciplining myself for “conduct unbecoming,” specifically the provision defined as “engaging in conduct on or off duty which has a tendency to destroy public respect for the employee and/or the DKSO and/or destroy confidence in the operations of the County service is conduct unbecoming and is prohibited.” This self-imposed discipline should not be construed to suggest or imply guilt of the Atlanta municipal ordinance charges alleged. I will continue to vigorously defend myself as it relates to the charges. However, the mere fact of placing myself in a position to be arrested is sufficient reason for this self-imposed discipline. I cannot, in good faith, fail to take responsibility for the negative and unwanted criticism brought to this great agency and the County, and I apologize to each of you. You deserve a leader who takes responsibility for his actions.

While the schedule of penalty for this infraction (first instance) is written counseling, in my case, I am imposing the maximum time of one week’s suspension. My suspension will be effective Saturday, May 27, 2017 through Sunday, June 4, 2017.

I will donate the equivalent of one week’s pay to a charity or charities to be determined in the very near future.
I am committed to remaining your Sheriff and restoring your trust in me."

Mann’s attorneys are fighting the investigation, led by a commission of public officials, into his actions. The sheriff's position is that the panel, by investigating Mann, is exceeding its jurisdiction.

“Although ‘misconduct in office’ is not defined by (Georgia code), a common-sense definition of the term requires that Sheriff Mann commit some type of misconduct in his official capacity as sheriff of DeKalb County,” Mann's attorney Noah Pines said in a statement, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Therefore, since there are no allegations that Sheriff Mann committed any misconduct in his official capacity ... (the law) does not authorize the appointment of an investigative committee.”

Last week, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond broke his silence on the matter, positing that the situation was out of the ordinary for him and all who know Mann.

"The charges and present opinion against the sheriff conflict with how I know this man, in terms of his professionalism," Thurmond said in public comments.

Mann has been with the Sheriff's Office for a decade, and has served as DeKalb's top cop since 2014.

Image via DeKalb Sheriff's Office