Chattahoochee police officer arrested on sexual assault charges
Published 5:17 pm Monday, July 20, 2009
A Chattahoochee, Fla., police officer is facing charges of sexual assault after being taken into custody Saturday afternoon by the Decatur County Sheriff’s Special Response Team.
According to Maj. Wendell Cofer, at around noon on Saturday, an adult woman reported a suspected sexual assault had occurred between a man she identified as 50-year-old Robert Sizemore and a juvenile girl. The complaintant told Sgt. Michael Logue that she discovered the assault had taken place when she got home from work shortly after 12 a.m. Saturday.
The complaintant stated that Sizemore later called her by phone from a room he had checked into at the Jameson Inn, located on Tallahassee Highway in Bainbridge. The woman stated Sizemore had threatened to kill himself during their conversation.
Cofer, Sheriff Wiley Griffin, Investigator Brian Donalson and Capt. Gayle Bowyer responded to the scene and the Decatur County Special Response Team (SRT) was activated.
“The decision was made to activate the Decatur County SRT to execute the arrest, maintain the perimeter and safely evacuate guests close to the [suspect’s] room,” said Cofer.
Chattahoochee Police Chief Vann Pullen was also requested to assist with the apprehension of Sizemore.
After deputies called Sizemore, he was taken into custody without incident at approximately 4:20 p.m. on Saturday.
Sizemore was transported to Memorial Hospital and Manor in Bainbridge and then transported to another medical facility for treatment and evaluation, according to Cofer.
Cofer said Sizemore was placed under arrest, but has yet to be booked in the Decatur County Jail, pending his medical treatment. Cofer said that after consulting with the District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office will request Sizemore be charged with rape, aggravated sexual battery, child molestation, incest and enticing a child for indecent purposes.
A news release issued by the Chattahoochee, Fla., Police Department states that Sizemore was terminated from duty effective July 18. He had been employed as a police officer with the Chattahoochee Police department since Nov. 27, 2008. He worked as a correctional officer with the Florida Department of Corrections from August 2007 to July 2008 and served as a police officer with the Blountstown, Fla., Police Department from October 1982 to November 1992.