A Ludowici police officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing regarding his actions in the recent apprehension and nonfatal shooting of a burglary suspect.
At the December Ludowici City Council meeting, Police Chief Richard Robertson told the group that after an independent investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the district attorney’s office, Officer Adam Denton “acted appropriately and there was no misconduct.”
Denton was placed on administrative leave with pay Dec. 7 after he shot a man who later was charged with kidnapping and armed robbery. According to an earlier incident report, Denton was attempting to apprehend Brandon Izzard when the man reached for the officer’s gun. During a scuffle, the officer shot Izzard twice in the leg.
“The investigation was simply a routine matter, and I never doubted that Adam did anything that he shouldn’t have done,” Robertson said.
According to Robertson, Denton was cleared Dec. 10 and allowed to resume his duty with the LPD.
The chief also told the council that two men had been arrested in connection with an Oct. 30 armed burglary and home invasion. In that incident, a group of men forced their way into a Ludowici home after one of the intruders knocked on an elderly man’s door and claimed to be the man’s son. The armed suspects robbed the elderly man and his wife.
“I’m happy to report that we have made two arrests in regards to this home invasion, and we have two more arrests pending … Investigator (Diannia) Duncan has put a lot of time and work into the case, and has done an outstanding job,” Robertson said.