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.
Thursday, Marron Bridges said that she has filed a complaint with the police department. She said that she believes she was racially profiled.
A day earlier, 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.
Click here for story update: Police reveal human trafficking operation
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 😳 🫣 🥹!
How does a department investigate itself. Fuck that! Bring in IA. This is unacceptable.
Prediction the body cam footage will have missing footage
There were other people there. Were they questioned and asked to leave as well? Sometimes things aren’t what they seem. But if they can’t give answers. Absolutely she was targeted. And I support police. I don’t say this lightly. But its smelling very fishy.
She was doing absolutely nothing to warrant them to follow and stop her.
O don’t blame her for letting them get her ID from car to not escalate the situation but it’s a shame she had to even be in that situation.
Raven, the whole thing is generating a lot of conversation and concern.
THIS is how young black people are ending up hanging from trees. I said it. He is asking peculiar questions, “You’re not talking on the phone to anyone on the phone right now?”, “Is that someone calling you right now?’. He’s either trying to hit on her or some other suspect move. Really, really, really disturbing.
It’s concerning for sure.
He probably thought it was a pimp trying to contact his hoe. Pardon my French. But they were ostensibly conducting further pointless human trafficking investigations. I mean if she were meeting a client of a particular kind– she was obviously there of her own volition and literally no one would be harmed. Quite the opposite actually. Either we have bodily autonomy and civil liberties or we don’t. With Roe v. Wade gone and this type of stuff vice squad and all, we’re going way back, biblical times, bronze age. With AI. Weird times.
Did anyone else have to leave the park?
I don’t think we have enough facts to draw a conclusion. These things are never as simple as they can look from a distance.
There are 3 sides to every story with the truth being number 3. Relax and wait for it.
Them claiming they made prostitution arrest sounds bogus. Can we have access to any prostitution arrest made in that park on that day. The officer was up to no good. I plan to email both my Senators regarding this incident.
I’m all for waiting for all the facts. But how is it that no other people were asked to leave if it was closed?
Liars. One thing has nothing to do with the other. We tired of the nonsense just know and it’s not going to matter who is on the other side. It’s ridiculous and these people are deranged and do not need a gun less known a badge. Get them out fr
Where’s Kesha lance Bottoms GOOFASS??