Warrenton Police officer 911 call, statements released after arrest

More information has been released concerning the Warrenton Police officer who was arrested after calling the Columbia County Sheriff's Office for assistance.

Michael Reddekopp, 32, of Evans, was arrested June 27 and charged with simple battery - family violence.

However, discrepancies in the incident report, 911 call and witnesses' statements have led Reddekopp to file a request for dismissal of the charges.

Wife says arrest 'was not what I wanted, nor was it necessary'

Columbia County deputies responded to Reddekopp's Evans home on June 27 for a domestic violence call, according to previous reporting.

While the incident report notes Reddekopp's wife claimed he grabbed her arm, the 911 transcripts revealed that the call was made by Reddekopp.

In a 911 call, Reddekopp can be heard calmly speaking with dispatchers, explaining he needed to get to work and his wife was standing in front of his patrol car. He can be heard on the call telling his wife he could not back up without hitting her and asked dispatchers to send a unit out to move her out of the way.

The 911 operator can be heard questioning Reddekopp about events leading up to the incident and he explained his wife took his phone and he grabbed her arm to take it back.

No injuries or visible marks were noted on the incident report.

While still on the phone with 911, Reddekopp's wife moved out of the way and he started driving to work. Dispatch told him deputies were already en route and "would still have to talk to [him]," according to the call.

Reddekopp saw a deputy coming down the road and flagged him down, asking if he could speak with that deputy to avoid being late for work, according to the 911 call.

Reddekopp was escorted back to the home to discuss the incident, which is where he was arrested, according to the incident report.

Fraudulent insurance claims: Augusta woman wanted for filing two fraudulent traffic accident insurance claims

Augusta Motorcycle Gang: Violent Georgia motorcycle gang operates near military bases, recruits military personnel

Both Reddekopp and his wife provided written statements to the sheriff's office explaining the situation.

In Reddekopp's wife's statement, she said the pair had already separated for the evening and were taking time to calm down before working through the argument the next day.

"We had a total of six deputies at our home," she wrote. "Six deputies were not needed because Michael and I were being cooperative the entire time. After explaining the situation multiple times to different deputies, they asked what I would like to happen. ... [The deputy] said they were going to arrest my husband Michael. That is not what I wanted, nor was it necessary."

In Reddekopp's statement, he wrote when his wife stated she did not want charges filed, the deputy "began raising his voice stating, 'We aren't talking about it.'"

Columbia County Sheriff's Office policy states whenever a law enforcement officer responds to a family violence incident, the officer "shall not base the decision of whether to arrest and charge a person on the specific consent of the victim."

However, policy does note officers investigating an incident of family violence shall not "threaten, suggest, or otherwise indicate the arrest of all parties for the purpose of discouraging requests for law enforcement intervention."

Reddekopp's wife wrote that deputies "have not told the truth about the events that took place" and said everything was "blown way out of proportion by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office," according to her statement.

Reddekopp resigned in lieu of termination the day after his arrest and the incident was reported to Georgia P.O.S.T, which investigates charges against law enforcement officers.

Warrenton Chief of Police Ron Sellers explained the force only has six officers and an administrative leave, which is typical for similar charges in surrounding counties, was not a possibility due to the department's size.

In a letter of recommendation Sellers wrote for Reddekopp on April 20, he describes Reddekopp as "a good officer," who is "professional," "courteous" and "dependable."

Sellers added he received "several compliments on [Reddekopp's] work performance from the citizens of Warrenton," according to the letter.

The Columbia County District Attorney's Office said the file is active, so they will not comment on whether the case will be tried.

Reddekopp's personnel file

A review of Reddekopp's personnel file shows no disciplinary action while employed by Warrenton Police Department.

Reddekopp was hired in October 2022 and was assigned to the patrol division, according to the file. He was previously employed by the Augusta State Medical Prison, the Richmond County Sheriff's Office and the Wrens Police Department.

Reddekopp worked as a jailor for the Richmond County Sheriff's Office before being promoted to a peace officer, according to Georgia P.O.S.T. records. He was terminated in October 2021. He worked at Wrens Police Department from November 2021 to July 2022, when he resigned in lieu of termination.

No sanctions or disciplinary action are listed on his P.O.S.T. file for any agency.

Prior to his law enforcement career, he served in the U.S. Army from 2009 to 2015, according to the file.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Warrenton officer fights charges after arrest in Columbia County