Crime & Safety

Georgia Police Featured On BodyCam Show Tuesday, See Video

The harrowing story of 2 Newnan, Ga., police officers will be featured on the series BODY CAM, Tuesday, Feb. 5.

NEWNAN, GA — The harrowing story of Newnan, Ga., law enforcement officer Kevin Black and Sergeant Bradley Thompson will be featured Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 10 p.m. on the series BODY CAM.

On this episode of BODY CAM: Two young men are traveling south from Atlanta, leaving a string of armed robberies in their wake, according to police. The men are always one step ahead of police, until their luck runs out in Coweta County, where surveillance cameras capture them holding a terrified motel clerk at gunpoint, police said. A bystander witnesses everything and a city-wide chase ensues, with the men speeding through parking lots, crashing into patrol cars and fleeing on foot into the dark woods, according to police reports.

Detective Kevin Black has been with the Newnan Police Department for six years and lived in Coweta County for 29 years, and even graduated from East Coweta High School in Sharpsburg, Ga.

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Detective Kevin Black

"The experience of the chase was eye opening," he said. "It reinforced the fact that things can happen in the blink of an eye. Body cams in general are a great tool for both law enforcement and the general public. They aid in several facets of law enforcement from training to investigations while still affording the general public accountability of their officers. Body cams also allow the general public a glimpse into the day to day operations of law enforcement and the adversities that they face.

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"Daily the vast majority of officers set out to make a positive impact on the community they have sworn to protect," Black said. "The best part of my job is helping shape the community that my wife and I raise our children in."

Sgt. Bradley Thompson was born and raised in Newnan, graduating from Newnan High School. At the age of 18 he began a career in the field of law enforcement, first working for the Coweta County Sheriff's Department as a jailer. He then joined the Newnan Police Department in January of 2000, where he became a patrol officer and has made it to the rank of a patrol Sergeant.

Sgt. Bradley Thompson

"Working with the film crew was a very different atmosphere for me never being in that type of environment with the camera's and crew, which they were great and made it a less stressful experience," he said. "When the Body Camera's were first introduced to our agency, like all, I was very hesitant to wear one but that quickly changed when I saw the value of having one. What happens every day that I would like people to see is the good in every one and all of the officers I see and work with.

"Often we see the negative on social media but never see the times when officers and their families volunteer time for their community which makes me proud to do what I do," Thompson said. "The best part of my job is working in a community that I grew up in and hoping that in some small way I make a difference."

To check local listings, visit this channel finder: http://investigationdiscovery.com/channel-finder/

Video and photos courtesy of the Discovery (ID) show BODY CAM.

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