A lieutenant with the Guyton Police Department has been arrested.
Joseph Coppola was arrested by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday. According to the jail portal, Coppola was booked into the jail on one count of False Statements or Writings in Matters of Government, a felony. The listed offense date is September 3, 2024.
TheGeorgiaVirtue.com has requested the warrants for Coppola’s charges, but the request is pending given the after hours booking.
Coppola, who was hired by former Chief Stacy Strickland and has worked for the Guyton Police Department since 2017, is no stranger to headlines or controversy. He previously worked for the City of Rincon and resigned after being told that the disciplinary actions taken against him were set to be taken before city council.
In March of 2019, after the abrupt departure of nearly everyone at Guyton PD, Coppola served as interim police chief. He was then demoted under a previous administration for a host of indiscretions, which included insubordination, inexplicable missing documents, and an inability to recruit additional officers among other things.
Coppola appealed his demotion and took legal action against the city, leading to his eventual reinstatement. In January 2020, a lengthy expose was published on Coppola’s background. Much of Coppola’s personnel file prior to 2020 can no longer be found in city records, but previously published TGV articles revealed Coppola filed complaints against administrators who sought to discipline him. He largely flew under the radar during the tumultuous tenure of James Breletic from March 2020 to January 2024. Coppola again held the position of interim chief in 2024 between the departure of Breletic and the hiring of current Chief Kelphie Lundy. Since Lundy’s appointment, Coppola has worked as a lieutenant.
TheGeorgiaVirtue.com reached out to the City of Guyton for comment Wednesday.
Updated 10:23 a.m. on 11/21/24
The City of Guyton is aware of the recent arrest of one of its police officers, Lt. Joseph Coppola, and is taking this matter seriously. In accordance with the policies and procedures outlined by the City of Guyton and the Guyton Police Department, Lt. Coppola has been placed on administrative leave, effective immediately. This decision is in line with the City’s commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability while maintaining the trust of the community. The City of Guyton is fully committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, ethical behavior, and moral conduct within its Police Department.
The City of Guyton has full confidence that the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office will conduct an impartial, fair, and thorough investigation. The City is committed to cooperating fully with the Sheriff’s Office throughout the investigative process. As a reminder, a fundamental principle of justice is the presumption of innocence. Every individual accused of a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty.
The safety and well-being of the citizens of Guyton remain the City’s top priority, and the City will continue to work diligently to ensure that all law enforcement officers act in accordance with the law, upholding the trust of the community.
Further updates will be provided as additional information becomes available. In the meantime, the City asks for patience and understanding as the investigative process moves forward.\
This story is developing. Check back to TheGeorgiaVirtue.com for updates….
