The City of Guyton released a statement Thursday morning following the arrest of a police department lieutenant Wednesday night.
Joseph Michael Coppola was arrested by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday night on one felony count of False Statements or Writings; Conceal Facts or Fraudulent Documents in Matters of Government. He was booked into the jail at 7:31 p.m. Wednesday night and released before 10:00 p.m.
From the City of Guyton:
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.
As previously reported:
