Commerce policeman fired after investigation into his DUI arrests

The Commerce policeman who was placed on leave earlier this month after numerous complaints his about drunk driving arrests has been fired.

Many of the cases were reported dismissed in the court system, but that number was unavailable Thursday.

The city of Commerce this week notified the Georgia Peace Officer Standards Training Council that Jacob Wood was fired as a police officer, according to POST Deputy Executive Director Chris Harvey.

Police departments and sheriff's offices are required to notify POST of such actions they take against officers.

Commerce police conducted an internal investigation after numerous people complained that Wood was arresting motorists on DUI charges that had no merit.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation also reviewed the matter, but reported it decided not to investigate as it did not appear a crime had been committed.

POST, which has the authority to discipline officers, will review the Wood case.

Harvey said Thursday that POST will investigate and determine what sanctions could be applied to Wood’s police certification. Wood joined the Commerce Police Department in 2022.

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“It could range from no action to revocation,” he said.

The Jackson Herald newspaper in Jefferson also reported that among the cases dismissed was one in which Wood charged a man with having illegal drugs when he only had Walmart gummies.

Atlanta FOX Five reporter Randy Travis reported this week that dozens of alcohol breath tests showed zero alcohol including one suspect who blew a zero on 10 separate tests. The station reported that Wood made twice as many DUI cases as all other Commerce officers combined.

Commerce Police Chief Ken Harmon said earlier that the city was taking the matter seriously, but he couldn’t comment due to attorneys now handling the matter.

Wood was placed on leave with pay while the complaints were being investigated.

One man who became involved with bringing the matter to public attention was Commerce resident Tommy Rucker, who is a retired law enforcement officer. Rucker’s niece was arrested for DUI by Wood.

Rucker in an interview with the Athens Banner-Herald said his niece had just left his home to take a key to a drop box for a property management company.

“She called and police had stopped her and arrested her for DUI. She doesn’t drink. She doesn’t smoke, so I jumped in my vehicle and went down there,” Rucker said.

He said his niece explained that because it was night she was driving slowly to find the right driveway and once she backed up slightly to avoid a curb.

Rucker, who said he has made numerous DUI cases during his career, said he told the officer his niece was not drinking, but the officer replied if it’s not alcohol, “It’s somethings else.”

“He charged her with DUI drugs and he had no proof of anything,” Rucker said.

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Wood transported the woman to a hospital in Athens for a blood test then booked her into the county jail. The blood tests came back negative, Rucker said.

Rucker said he approached Chief Harmon to question him about what happened.

“I said your officer is doing people wrong,” he said.

“Bad news travels fast,” Rucker said, explaining the day after his niece’s arrest that “I had several calls from people talking about how (Wood) had stopped them.”

Rucker was also upset that the officers searched his niece’s car.

“He had no reason to search the vehicle. People don’t know that you can say no. They get intimidated,” he said. “They would not have searched that car had I been there.”

People also came to Rucker’s home to tell stories about their arrests.

The charges against Rucker’s niece have been dropped, he said.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Commerce policeman fired after investigation into DUI cases