A Fourth of July drive turned into a serious legal matter for Alexis Latrice Friendly, a 27-year-old Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS) officer, after she was arrested while operating a state-owned vehicle. Friendly is now facing a multitude of charges which include driving under the influence, serious injury by vehicle, failing to maintain lane, and speeding. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, additional citations against Friendly were for following too closely and not wearing a seatbelt during the incident.
Currently held without bond, Friendly's situation has promptly caused her to be suspended from her duties at the DCS. A statement obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta from DCS Public Relations Manager Jamelle Washington announced that "The Georgia Department of Community Supervision acts swiftly and decisively to remove an officer from public safety duties when it is alleged that they have acted in a manner that negatively impacts the public safety mission of the Department." The agency emphasized that an active investigation into the incident is underway and therefore declined to comment further on the details.
The repercussions of the incident didn't stop at the arrest; the alleged DUI resulted in a multi-vehicle wreck that shut down I-20 eastbound near Fairburn in Douglasville for several hours. The seriousness of the public safety breach due to the collision prompted the department's swift reaction, as confirmed by WSB Radio, which reported the department's immediate steps after the arrest to remove Friendly from her public safety responsibilities pending the investigation's findings.
Details about the extent of injuries or the number of vehicles involved in the I-20 wreck were not immediately available. As the department and legal proceedings continue to unfold, more information is expected to emerge about the circumstances leading up to Friendly's arrest and the consequences that will inevitably follow.
