Georgia Cops Use Coin Flip to Determine Speeding Arrest, Get Fired

Sarah Webb was pulled over in April on the suspicion of speeding. She drove past a police cruiser and was summoned to pull over, which she did. Officers Courtney Brown and Kristee Wilson lectured her on speeding, especially on the wet asphalt, and then arrested her and placed her in the back of the cruiser.

They also giggled throughout procedures and made fun of her, all of which was captured on their bodycams. The police report shows that Webb was arrested and charged with speeding, reckless driving and driving too fast for conditions.

In reality, the cops had no way of telling how fast she was going. One of them estimated Webb was doing 85mph in a 45mph zone, and the other suggested using an app that simulates a coin toss to decide whether to arrest her or let her go.

It was just last week that footage of the scene was leaked to the public, prompting an internal investigation. The 2 officers were sent on unpaid leave until it concluded – NBC News says that it did, and they were terminated. All charges against Webb were dropped, with the leading prosecutor refusing to pursue a case where police officers dispense justice by flipping coins, be they virtual or not.

In an open letter posted to NBC, Roswell Police Chief Rusty Grant says the 2 cops “engaged in conduct on or off duty which adversely affects the efficiency of the department and has a tendency to destroy public respect for the employee or the department.”

He also accuses the 2 of violating department policies of treating members of the public in a “kind, considerate and patient manner.” Instead, they mocked the crying woman they pulled over, giggled over her misfortune and decided her fate by tossing coins.

“It was appalling,” Grant says of watching the video. “This isn't a police procedure, to bring a coin flip - whether it's an app or an actual coin toss - that’s not part of that decision making to decide to take someone's freedom.”