A Hapeville police sergeant has resigned from the department just days after being arrested in Houston County on charges including first-degree cruelty to children and aggravated assault. Shada Canzater, 35, was initially taken into custody on August 31 on a warrant for simple assault under Georgia's family violence statute, and the felony charges were added the following day.
Bruce M. Hedley confirmed that Canzater had resigned from the Hapeville Police Department, releasing an official statement regarding both the arrest and her departure, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. Police officials have not said when Canzater will next appear in court, nor have they disclosed whether she has hired an attorney, the outlet reported. Authorities also have not released specific details about what led to the arrest or where the underlying incident occurred.
11Alive reported that Canzater was initially arrested by the Houston County Sheriff's Office before the aggravated assault and first-degree cruelty to children charges were added on September 1. The cited Justia Law material is a general legal-information homepage and does not describe Canzater's charges.
A Pattern of Charges Dating Back to 2023
This is not Canzater's first brush with the criminal justice system while serving as a Hapeville officer. The same 11Alive report notes she was previously arrested on charges including a count of second-degree homicide by vehicle and failure to yield right-of-way, stemming from an August 2023 incident in which her marked patrol car struck pedestrian Donell Holiday in Atlanta while she was on duty driving to the Fulton County Courthouse. Holiday later died from his injuries.
Court records cited in the outlet's reporting indicate Canzater had a vehicular-homicide charge and a failure-to-yield charge in Fulton County.
Promoted to Sergeant Weeks Before New Arrest
11Alive identified Canzater as a sergeant.
Canzater worked for the Hapeville Police Department.
What Happens to Her Certification Now
The cited reports do not detail what disciplinary action, if any, could affect Canzater's law-enforcement certification.
The cited reports do not provide statewide POST workforce statistics or quantify the oversight system relevant to Canzater's case.
Hoodline has covered misconduct claims against Hapeville officers before, and the department made headlines again last month after the arrest of reality TV star Sidney Starr in the city. Canzater's case is another chapter in the department's personnel history amid active criminal proceedings against its own officers.
