ATLANTA — As many are looking to hold police officers accountable in stopping excessive force, deputies from Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office are receiving praise for handling an incident involving a man apparently under the influence.
In a Facebook post by Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, two deputies encountered a man who had an alcoholic beverage.
“It was the end of a long shift when Sgt. C. Fusi and Deputy D. Bragg encountered a man loitering outside our headquarters. He had an alcoholic beverage in his hand and appeared to be intoxicated. He asked our deputies to arrest him for public drunkenness,” the post continued.
After speaking to the unidentified man, the deputies learned he was a recovering alcoholic.
“He'd been doing okay until he recently lost his job due to the pandemic and found himself with nowhere to sleep. He was very respectful and expressed sorrow at the current condition of this life,” a representative for the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office wrote.
Sgt. Fusi and Deputy Bragg reached out to some community resources to help him. It made a difference.
Rather than taking this man into custody, the deputies secured a hotel room for him, gave him a ride to the hotel and remained with him to assist him with registration, according to the post.
“We appreciate the care and attention our deputies gave to a struggling man who just needed someone to listen to him and care enough to give him a helping hand. We have no doubt he'll be back on his feet and we hope," the sheriff's office said.
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