A Gainesville Police officer was terminated from his job on Thursday after he was allegedly involved in an off-duty domestic-related incident. The Gainesville Police Department said they were made aware of the incident that occurred in Officer Collin Merritt’s home on March 22.
After determining the incident may have been criminal in nature, police turned the case over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Merritt was suspended without pay, pending the outcome of that investigation.
The GBI filed charges against Merritt for simple assault, pointing a gun at another, and reckless conduct, according to the Gainesville Times. On April 4, he turned himself in to authorities at the Hall County Jail.
Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish said the department holds its employees to the highest standards. He promised swift and immediate action anytime an employee betrays the community’s trust or code of conduct.
“We will always strive to maintain professionalism, integrity, loyalty, leadership, accountability, and respect. We expect our employees to conduct themselves in a manner to reflect this, on and off duty,” Parrish said.
