Suspended Georgia police officer dead after standoff; wife, boyfriend killed
BRUNSWICK, Ga. June 30 2018 Authorities confirm three people are dead after an apparent police stand-off with a suspended Glynn County police officer.
The incident unfolded Thursday night when 41-year-old Robert “Cory” Sasser was spotted driving away from a residence in McIntosh County, shortly after officials received a call of shots fired.
Around 10:00 p.m., the McIntosh County Office of the Sheriff (MCOS) responded to a home on Tolamato Island in Darien.
Upon arrival, officers found the body of 39-year-old Johnny Edward Hall, Jr. in the driveway of the residence.
As they searched the home, officers discovered Katie Kettles Sasser, 34. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
An officer with the Department of Natural Resources spotted Robert Sasser and notified other authorities.
Officers from multiple agencies located Sasser and a slow-speed chase ensued. He led officers to his own residence at 37 Hunters Drive in Brunswick where he remained in his vehicle.
SWAT members with the Glynn County Police Department were called to the scene and attempts to remove Sasser from the vehicle were made. SWAT members used tear gas, but Sasser remained in the vehicle.
According to MCOS, after a period of time, officials approached the vehicle to find Sasser had died of a single gunshot wound to his chest.
As the investigation continues into the deadly domestic dispute, details of Sasser’s troubling past are resurfacing, not only in his home life but his work life.
“He’s the type of police officer there’s always a bunch of controversy when he come around,” neighbor Rufus Hawkins said. “Anytime he come around, everyone was on pins and needles.”
Glynn County officials confirmed that on Tuesday, the day Sasser appeared in Glynn Superior Court for divorce proceedings, he was spotted at a local restaurant making threatening gestures toward his estranged wife and her boyfriend.
Information below was obtained from the Brunswick District Attorney’s Office.
May 13: Sasser was arrested for Criminal Trespass and Simple battery for an incident involving his wife. His bond was set, which included no contact with the alleged victim, Katie Kettles Sasser.
May 15: Katie Kettles Sasser filed a Victim’s Affidavit to modify Robert Sasser’s bond order, allowing him to have contact with her.
May 16: Sasser is placed on unpaid administrative leave, The Brunswick News reports.
May 17: Sasser was involved in another incident. According to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, deputies were attempting to make contact with Sasser. A gunshot was heard in the woods, launching hours of negotiations with Sasser.
The AJC reports he was eventually tased by a Georgia State Patrol commander. Records show Sasser was not wounded, but both a handgun and suicide note were found on his front seat.
On May 17, Sasser was given new warrants: two counts of Felony Obstruction of a Law Enforcement officer and one count of Misdemeanor Obstruction of a Law Enforcement Officer. In addition, he was revoked of the bond order change.
May 18: Sasser was arrested and admitted to a mental health facility.
May 24: Sasser was released from the mental health facility into the custody of the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office. He had his first hearing, at which time the court addressed his new charges and change in bond order.
The Court set Sasser’s bond at $5,000 with conditions, including but not limited to the following:
-Sasser must not have contact of any kind with Katie Kettles Sasser, Officer Richard Leska or Officer Joseph Hyer
-Sasser must leave Glynn County within 2 hours, not to return there or to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit with the exception of court functions in this case
-Sasser must live with his sister, Sloan Shepard in Alabama
-Sasser must seek treatment by June 1 for PTSD with the Veteran’s Administration closest to Theodore, Ala.
-Sasser must give all guns and weapons to a third party & must not possess any weapons
On May 24, the DA asked the Attorney General to assign a prosecutor outside of the area to represent the State in this case.
June 5: Solicitor-General for Glynn County asked the Attorney General to assign a substitute prosecutor to handle the original misdemeanor charges (May 13 incident)
June 12: Defense Counsel filed a motion to modify Sasser’s bond, which included records pertaining to the progress of his mental health treatment. No action has been taken on that motion by the State or the Court.
June 26: Sasser appeared in Glynn Superior Court for divorce proceedings. He followed protocol, notifying he would be present (as was part of his bond order).
Sasser was one of two officers involved in the death of 35-year-old Caroline Small in June 2010.
A report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution calls it “one of the most brutal police shootings in recent memory.
Sasser and his partner, Michael T. Simpson opened fire on Small who had led them on a low-speed chase in Brunswick.
The AJC reports that a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent who supervised the investigation did not think the shooting was justified. But the courts believed it was.
WSAV
