WARM SPRINGS, Ga. — An entire police force has been basically dismantled in a small rural town an hour south of Atlanta as a department-wide investigation is underway.
The city of Warm Springs announced on Wednesday, June 19, the termination of Chief Emilio Quintana and the suspension of the police force except for Assistant Chief Aisha Al-Khalifa, who was appointed interim chief. The suspension included 11 officers in the Warm Springs Police Department.
At the time of the announcement, the city said, "The decision to terminate Chief Quintana and suspend the police force was made after careful consideration of recent events and emerging concerns regarding the conduct and operations within the department."
The statement also included, "The investigation aims to ensure the integrity and accountability of our law enforcement officers and to restore public trust in the Warm Springs Police Department."
On Friday, 11Alive confirmed the termination of Chief Quintana and suspension of the 11 officers actually happened a week prior to the city's announcement.
The officers were notified in a letter dated June 12, that that 'effective immediately' they were suspended.
11Alive has also been able to confirm that letter was dated two days after a civil lawsuit was filed by a former Warm Springs Police officer. The lawsuit was served to the defendants, which included Chief Quintana and the city of Warm Springs, on June 11.
The former officer, Sean Thompson, who filed the lawsuit, spoke to 11Alive's Cody Alcorn on Friday afternoon in Marietta. Thompson said he was hired by Warm Springs in August 2023.
"I loved Warm Springs. I loved the city I was working for," Thompson explained.
He said things started off great. However, he said things started to change when he tried to speak up about issues within the department.
"I had a personal issue with one of the command staff. I voiced my concerns," he said.
Thompson said once he spoke up, things went downhill from that point forward until he said he was fired on May 20 for alleged insubordination.
Thompson said he was "wrongfully terminated" for voicing his concerns.
"You know, I feel like I was totally ignored," Thompson said.
On June 10, Thompson filed a civil lawsuit with the Magistrate Court in Meriwether County, citing wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation and a hostile work environment as the basis of the lawsuit.
"I want my name to be cleared. I want my background to be cleared," Thompson explained.
He added, "I didn’t think it was going to get this far, but like I said, some stuff, uncovered some other things uncovered, I guess it was just meant to be."
11Alive did reach out the city of Warm Springs to get a comment on the civil lawsuit but our phone calls have not been returned.
In a prepared statement put out along with the announcement of the termination of Chief Quintana, Robyn Pynenburg, Mayor of Warm Springs, stated: "Our primary commitment is to the safety and well-being of our community. We take these matters very seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation to address any issues within our police department. We ask for the community’s patience and support as we work towards transparency and justice."