POST Records Shed Light on GBI’s Investigation into the Cochran Police Dept.

Cochran’s new police chief, Jim Sanders, says there was a ‘clique’ of officers who “were allowed to go beyond what they should have been allowed to” before he took office.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, a Cochran police officer, Thurman Hathaway was arrested in July of 2009, accused of misusing equipment.

In August of that same year, Morris Ross and Brent Powell, were arrested in Pineview.  Charges against them were dropped, including enticing a child for indecent purposes and child molestation. 

On August 27th of 2009, the GBI said, Elijah Mullis was arrested in the parking lot of the police department, charged with conspiracy to sell a controlled substance and violating his oath of office.

According to records from the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, Matt Wright and Derek Childs quit the department in September 2009 and surrendered their law enforcement certificates.

In November of 2009 the police chief, Jon Thrower, resigned.  He has not been charged with any crime.

Cochran’s new mayor and police chief, say the department has moved on from the controversey.

“We don’t care who you are.  If you break the law, you break the law,” Mayor Cliff Avant said.