Four Georgia State Patrol employees were fired from the Georgia Department of Public Safety after an internal investigation found these officers filed insurance claims to profit from vehicle chases, violating the department’s policy.
After using their patrol vehicles to stop a chase, including a “precision immobilization technique,” the troopers sent crash reports to a private attorney. That attorney filed personal injury claims against fleeing drivers’ insurance companies.
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Troopers Hunter Waters, Tyler Byrd and Isaiah Francois participated in the scheme. Byrd said he received two $25,000 settlements. The investigation found the officers reported no physical injuries to the department. The troopers’ supervisor Sgt. Joseph Curlee attempted to make a claim through the same lawyer but was not successful.
Curlee stated he did not believe these actions violated department policy because they were acting as private citizens.
The Department of Public Safety investigation concluded the practice created a conflict of interest, as seeking personal compensation for official duties subjects the entire agency to a “damaged reputation, disparaged image, and public distrust.”
Despite department policy requiring permission for such claims, Francois told investigators he saw “no ethical violation” for seeking the payments, revealing a disconnect between official standards and the troopers’ interpretation. Curlee stated he did not believe these actions violated department policy because they were acting as private citizens.
