Savannah officer suspended without pay after Ellis Square use-of-force incident
By Tia Maggio, Graham Cawthon
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SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — A Savannah police officer was suspended without pay after an internal investigation into an encounter at Ellis Square.
The case drew wider attention after a video of the incident began circulating online, prompting a response from the Savannah Police Department.
In a statement shared Monday on Facebook, Police Chief Lenny Gunther said the department had already reviewed the complaint.
“We’re aware of the video circulating involving one of our officers and an allegation of improper use of force,” Gunther said. “What’s important for people to know is that while this video is just now making its way around social media, the incident itself happened on March 20.”
He said a complaint was filed, an internal investigation was immediately opened, and the inquiry resulted in disciplinary action, including a suspension without pay.
Bodycam captures key moment
Police bodycam shows the moments before and after the use-of-force incident.
In the above video, you can see the officer approach several women as one of them is being placed in handcuffs.
The women take issue with the claim that the one in custody is drunk in public. The video shows one of the women briefly putting her hand up, with the officer swatting it away and shoving both women.
One of the two women falls completely backwards, with the back of her head coming close to hitting the curb.
“She hit my arm, so I shoved her back,” the officer is heard saying. “I could arrest her for that.”
One of the women goes on to ask his name and badge number.
Department says complaint process worked Gunther said the case moved through the department’s internal review system as intended.
“When our officers fall short of expectations, we take that seriously, and we act,” he said. “Our officers are working in fast-moving, sometimes volatile situations, but that doesn’t change the standard. We hold our people accountable.”
He also said the department wants the public to understand there is a formal process for reporting and reviewing complaints against officers.
“In this case, that process worked the way it’s supposed to,” Gunther said.
The department’s statement did not identify the officer, describe the exact policy violation, or detail the length of the suspension.
Mayor comments During a scheduled media briefing on Tuesday, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said the case was reviewed internally soon after it happened and that the officer was suspended for one day without pay. The officer did not appeal the punishment.
Johnson said he personally believed the force used was inappropriate.
“When they fall short of our expectations, when they fall short of policy or the law, we take that seriously and we act,” he said.
Community sessions planned Johnson said Savannah plans to hold public sessions this summer to explain police use-of-force policies in plain language.
He said he wants an independent expert — not someone from the Savannah Police Department — to lead the discussion and help residents better understand what officers face in the field.
The sessions may also include a police simulator to give community members a more hands-on sense of how officers make split-second decisions.
“We should have nothing to hide,” Johnson said.
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