Sandy Springs police say they are conducting an active investigation involving an incident Wednesday at Morgan Falls Park. A woman recorded an encounter with officers at the park that has since attracted widespread attention on social media.
Marron Bridges posted part of her encounter with a Sandy Springs police officer while taking a walk at the park. At least four police vehicles can briefly be seen nearby in the footage.
“I’ve been wrongly targeted by Sandy Springs police,” Bridges’ text reads across the first of two videos she posted.
Sandy Springs police spokesman Sgt. G. Gomez confirmed there is an active investigation involving an incident Wednesday at Morgan Falls Park. He declined to provide details about what prompted an officer to question Bridges or whether she is a subject of the investigation.
Bridges is a real estate agent with Keller Williams, according to her business website and the Georgia Multiple Listing Service.
By Thursday, her two social media videos of the incident had received nearly 150,000 likes and 20,000 comments.
Bridges says in the footage that she was at the park for the first time and simply exploring.
In the first video, she is walking as an officer drives alongside, asking if she is speaking to someone on the phone. He eventually asks for her identification.
Wearing earbuds and recording the encounter, she repeatedly asks why the officer is approaching her.
“I’m not being loud. I’m not being fussy …Nobody is telling me anything. I’ve asked them what is going on …” Bridges later says in the recording.
She describes the encounter as embarrassing and asks nearby park visitors to remain with her.
In the parking lot area, Bridges tells the officer that he can retrieve her identification from a purse in her vehicle, offering to let him enter the car.
“What are we looking for exactly and why am I being questioned?” Bridges asked the officer.
He tells her that he will explain.
After checking and returning her identification, the officer tells Bridges that police are conducting “an investigation that we are running down here.” He also says that she needs to leave the park because it is closed.
Her posts on Instagram and Facebook prompted some discussion about whether she should have exercised her Fourth Amendment rights, which protect individuals against unreasonable government searches and seizures.
In response, Bridges explained that she gave the officer permission to enter her vehicle because she did not want to escalate the situation.
Bridges did not respond to phone and email requests from SaportaReport for comment Thursday.
That was absolutely uncalled for!! She was just alone very nicely walking thru the park. She didn’t seem to be talking or bothering anyone else. If I would have been her I would have been terrified!! I’m so glad she handled it the way she did and I hope the officer that started all this for no reason gets reprimanded!! How embarrassing 😳 🫣 🥹!