Houston County Lieutenant suspended after workplace confrontation
Lt. James "Bo" Spivey, who works in the Warrants Division, received a two-day suspension without pay for violating the department’s policy on “Conduct Unbecoming an Officer,” according to a disciplinary action report dated December 2. The incident happened on November 19 at Five Star Ford in Warner Robins.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Houston County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant has been suspended without pay following a workplace confrontation involving accusations of harassment and physical contact, according to documents obtained through an Open Records Request.
Lt. James “Bo” Spivey, who works in the Warrants Division, received a two-day suspension without pay for violating the department’s policy on “Conduct Unbecoming an Officer,” according to a disciplinary action report dated December 2. The incident happened on November 19 at Five Star Ford in Warner Robins.
According to the documents, Spivey confronted mechanic Stephen Givens over a garage door opener tied to a divorce that Spivey believed Givens had in his possession. Givens told investigators Spivey showed up at his workplace in uniform and aggressively demanded the opener. According to Givens, Spivey “slapped his hand and pushed him,” leading to a heated verbal and physical altercation.
The Office of Professional Standards interviewed several witnesses, including Givens’ supervisor and a mechanic who were there. Witnesses said the argument escalated quickly, with both men pointing fingers and raising voices. One witness told investigators Spivey swatted Givens’ hand and that both men were seen “closer and closer” during the confrontation.
In his interview, Spivey denied malicious intent and said he approached Givens to retrieve the garage opener, which he believed had been taken by mistake. Spivey admitted to pushing Givens but said it was to maintain personal space. “You want a confrontation that I’m not going to give you,” the report says Spivey told Givens.
The investigation determined Spivey violated the department’s code of conduct, which requires officers to act in a manner that does not bring discredit to themselves, the agency or the county. “Based on the testimonial evidence of all involved parties/witnesses, I find that it has been sustained that Lt. Spivey violated the aforementioned Houston County Sheriff’s Office policy,” Lt. George Runyon of the Office of Professional Standards wrote in the report.
The report also included text messages, prior police reports and statements from individuals involved in the incident, which mentioned ongoing disputes between Spivey, Givens and others.
41NBC reached out to the Houston County Sheriff’s Office for comment on November 26 but did not receive a response. An Open Records Request was submitted on December 5 to obtain these records.
