A long-time Dunwoody police officer charged with battery against his wife resigned from the force on Nov. 3.
Mark Stevens had been on suspension since August, while the Dunwoody Police Department conducted an internal investigation.
In response to an inquiry from Rough Draft regarding Stevens’ status, Dunwoody Police Information Officer Sgt. Michael Cheek said he “had resigned.”
Cheek said Stevens’ “internal investigation will be closed due to his resignation” and said there will be no official statement regarding the matter. Rough Draft has also inquired into the status of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Department investigation, where the incident had occurred.
According to an incident report filed in Forsyth County, Stevens was arrested on Aug. 18 and charged with the misdemeanor after his wife alleged that Stevens, in a drunken state, accused her of having an extramarital affair, pinned her down on the bed and struck her.
The victim stated in her affidavit that this behavior had been occurring the entirety of their year-long marriage, including their wedding night, and that she had pictures and videos to back up her allegations against Stevens.
Stevens was a highly visible employee in Dunwoody as a community outreach officer. He was the main point of contact for the Citizens on Patrol Program and the organizer of the department’s Citizens’ Police Academy.
The victim, 40, on Aug.18, filed a protective order against Stevens, which extended to her two children from a previous marriage. Stevens was ordered to stay 500 feet away from his wife under the order and return “all keys, garage door openers, and other security devices to the family residence.
Ten days after the order was filed, the victim asked for the petition to be dismissed “without prejudice.” The one-sentence request did not list a reason for the dismissal. According to court records, the request was heard on Sept. 13, and was marked in online records as “closed.”
According to police officials, Stevens was allowed to take a long-planned trip to Germany despite being on administrative leave for the incident. On Oct. 1, Stevens posted a video on Facebook from a restaurant where he is shown with his hands bound behind him. Several men then appear to escort him out of the restaurant as diners cheer and clap.
The video was posted with the message, “When you are close friends with the Security personnel, they like to play pranks. Ha Ha!”
Several people who wished to remain anonymous confirmed that they had seen and shared the video with others. Those who have seen the video said they “were shocked that he posted it,” as it appears to make light of his arrest
