A federal grand jury indicted former Jackson Police Department patrol officer Najwa Zandlo on one count of cyberstalking on Tuesday, and FBI agents took her into custody on the morning of Friday, October 16, 2026. The indictment followed a yearlong chain of events that began with a citizen complaint about her conduct and continued after her resignation from the department before she could face a disciplinary hearing.
According to WBBJ-TV, the case traces back to October 2025, when a local citizen filed a formal complaint about Zandlo's conduct while she was still employed with the Jackson Police Department. JPD placed her on administrative leave and opened an internal investigation shortly after receiving the allegations, the station reports.
Internal Probe Found Misuse of Police Databases
That internal investigation found that Zandlo had used police technology and databases for purposes unrelated to law enforcement, per the same account. Rather than face a scheduled internal disciplinary hearing, Zandlo resigned in lieu of termination, the station notes.
JPD then referred the matter to the FBI for further investigation, and the Jackson Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation jointly conducted the probe into the allegations against her. The case was ultimately presented to a federal grand jury following a joint review of the findings by the District Attorney General's Office and the United States Attorney's Office, the station's report states.
Chief Vows Accountability, Pursuit of Decertification
Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley addressed the case directly, saying the department holds all officers to the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and accountability. He also said constitutional policing is a foundational pillar at JPD and that officer adherence to it is non-negotiable, adding that the department remains committed to personnel upholding the moral and ethical standards the community expects.
Beyond the criminal case, JPD said it will request that the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission revoke Zandlo's law-enforcement certification. The underlying details of her specific conduct have not been made public.
Similar Cases Elsewhere
Cyberstalking indictments against law-enforcement personnel are not unique to Jackson. Earlier this year, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging an Oregon Department of Corrections officer with cyberstalking his ex-girlfriend over a nine-month span in 2024, according to the FBI's Portland Field Office. That case, while separate from Zandlo's, illustrates the kind of scrutiny officers nationwide can face when their access to sensitive systems becomes the subject of a criminal probe.
It remains unclear whether Zandlo has entered a plea or whether she is currently in custody, and no attorney representing her has publicly responded to the charge. The identity of the alleged victim and the specific conduct underlying the cyberstalking count have not been disclosed.
