A Sandy Springs resident has filed an official complaint against a police officer, alleging she was racially profiled at Morgan Falls Overlook Park.
She posted a video about the incident, which went viral on her social media page.
Sandy Springs resident Marrón Bridges filmed two videos of her interactions with officers on Wednesday, Oct. 7, and posted them to her Instagram account, which has more than 47,000 followers. They show a white male police officer following a black woman in his patrol car and asking her to identify herself before later requesting that she leave the park.
“His energy felt very aggressive, and I could not understand where this was coming from,” Bridges wrote on Instagram. “I was honestly in shock. This investigation felt very violating as a law-abiding citizen and Sandy Springs resident.”
City stands by officer
Rough Draft Atlanta has been unable to reach Bridges, a licensed realtor in metro Atlanta, following the incident.
In social media posts, Bridges said she was the only park patron in the area whom an officer stopped. Throughout the interaction, she said she had no idea what was happening.
On video, officers ask who she’s talking to, where she is going, and if she’s with anybody. Later, she approaches other park patrons near the Chattahoochee River and asks them to stand with her during the interaction.
“I’m trying to see what’s going on, and I don’t really understand,” Bridges said in her second video. “Nobody is telling me anything … this is quite frankly embarrassing.”
On video, officers were overheard asking to see her identification, which was inside her vehicle. Later, officers said the park was closed and she needed to leave.
When asked about Bridges’ claims, Sandy Springs Police spokesperson Sgt. Giovanni Gomez said Bridges walked into an active police investigation.
“Sandy Springs is a welcoming community where people are valued and respected and are treated with dignity,” Gomez said. “Because this is an ongoing criminal investigation, we are unable to comment further at this time.”
On Friday, Oct. 9, Mayor Rusty Paul said the investigation that was occurring at the time of the alleged profiling incident at Morgan Falls remains active.
Rough Draft Atlanta requested a case number for the investigation, but police department policy does not allow for information sharing during active investigations.
It is not clear whether the Sandy Springs Police Department is conducting an internal review of Bridges’ claims and the incident. Because it occurred during a separate, ongoing criminal investigation, the department’s spokesperson said they are “unable to comment further at this time.”
