Grand jury calls for probe of academy where recruit was shot

Published 12:54 pm Monday, August 7, 2006

MARIETTA — A grand jury has called for an investigation of the academy where a police recruit died after being accidentally shot by a training instructor.

Cobb County’s May-June grand jury described a “non-standardized” form of training guidelines established by instructors at the North Central Georgia Law Enforcement Academy.

The grand jury found there does not appear to be any specific training for the instructors to use established lesson plans, teaching methods or other specific guidelines.

“This may have included procedures that are in violation of written policies, regulations, memorandums, safety procedures and common sense,” the grand jury’s presentment reads.

Tara Drummond was training to become an officer for the Kennesaw Police Department when she was accidentally shot last September during a firearms training exercise. Her instructor, Cobb County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Albert Jackson fatally wounded her when he fired a gun at her he thought was loaded with “dummy” rounds. The exercise was designed to have trainees experience what it is like to have a loaded gun pointed at them.

The grand jury recommended that the next grand jury conduct a full inspection of the academy, its personnel and procedures.

Cobb County District Attorney Pat Head could not confirm whether the county’s sitting grand jury has started a probe of the academy. Its presentments would not be available until early September, he said.

Head said although recommendations of any grand jury are merely advisory, the grand jury that visited the academy saw enough concern to form a committee.

“Based upon the evidence in that case, (the grand jury) thought there was cause for concern in the methodology of the academy,” Head said. “They want to make sure it never happens again.”

In March, another grand jury decided not to indict Jackson, Drummond’s firearms instructor, in her death. Investigators ruled the shooting an accident.

But a 2001 directive from the Georgia Public Safety Training Center says a loaded weapon should never be in the classroom. The directive states that firearms capable of firing any type of ammunition are banned from all simulated or practical training exercises except at a firing range.