DeKalb Sheriff Vows To Clear His Name After Indecency Arrest

DECATUR, GA -- DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey Mann has vowed to clear his name after allegedly exposing himself in Piedmont Park and being subsequently arrested by an Atlanta police officer. The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, made up of public officials across Georgia, has launched an investigation into the incident, Patch has learned.

The saga began Saturday about 11 p.m. when Mann was observed by an officer in an area of the park known for “sexual acts after dark,” according to the police report. The man then exposed himself while walking toward the officer, who was trying to hide his uniform. SIGN UP: To get notified of the 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.

The officer shined his flashlight on the man, which sparked a panic and he "immediately fled on foot," causing the policeman to give chase.

"I allowed the male to get approximately 7 to 10 feet from me before I used my flashlight to shine it on the male. The male immediately fled on foot. I ran behind the male while yelling, ‘Police. Stop!’" a police report, obtained by WSB-TV, said.

DeKalb Sheriff Arrested In Piedmont Park, Charged With Indecency

Mann ran into traffic, crossing 10th Street and even stopped to tie his shoe, the report says. After he realized, that he couldn't shake the officer, Mann reportedly gave up.

The DeKalb Sheriff's Office released a statement Sunday acknowledging that Mann was arrested in the incident the night before. "He is working with City of Atlanta to clear these charges," the news release, obtained by Patch, says.

In a police report, the officer indicates that he did not learn that he had a local sheriff in custody until he was able to verify Mann's identification at the station.

Mann, who has been with the office for a decade but elected sheriff in 2014, bonded out of jail early Sunday.

The sheriff has been mum other than a brief statement to WSB-TV. He told the TV station that he appreciates Atlanta police and all they do for the city. He reportedly called the incident a misunderstanding.

The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council is a law enforcement regulatory body that can pull an officer’s certification if the panel determines that he or she acted in a manner unbefitting the office. The council's probe was first reported by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

DeKalb Commissioner Nancy Jester, reached by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said that the news was unbecoming of the county. “It is embarrassing,” Jester was quoted as saying. “It’s certainly not a good headline for DeKalb County ... . Now we have this, so I don’t know,” she said. “We’ll see where this takes us.”

The incident is another black eye for the DeKalb sheriff's office, which has been trying to turn the corner on a scandal-ridden past. In December 2000, Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown was gunned down outside his home in a drive-by shooting. The outgoing Sheriff, Sidney Dorsey, was convicted in the gangland-style slaying.

Image via DeKalb County Sheriff' / Facebook