Former Soperton Police Officer Arrested by GBI

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A former Soperton police officer has been arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault and one count of terroristic threats and acts for his alleged actions during a dispatch call last month.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the agency was asked on July 31 to investigate an instance with former Soperton police officer Kenneth Bishop, 60, of Swainsboro, in which Bishop and citizens had gotten into a dispute. During the initial investigation, authorities discovered that Bishop had responded to a dispatch call regarding an assault on July 26. While on the call, Bishop stopped a car with three passengers, all of whom were friends or family members of the assault victim.

During the traffic stop, Bishop and the passengers began arguing. The situation escalated, and Bishop allegedly pulled his gun from his holster, pointed it at the passengers, beat the windows of the vehicle, and threatened to shoot the car.

Shortly after the situation occurred, Bishop separated from the Department.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation placed Bishop under arrest on Monday, August 19, and booked him at the Treutlen County Jail. The former officer has since bonded out of jail on a $25,000 property bond with conditions, as he agreed to refrain from possessing any weapons, partaking in alcohol or illegal drugs, breaking the law of any kind, and contacting the victims.

The agency is continuing to actively investigate the case, which will be turned over to the Dublin Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution once completed. Anyone with information regarding this instance should call the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Eastman Office at (478) 374-6988, or submit an anonymous tip by calling the hotline at 1 (800) 597TIPS (8477), visiting the Georgia Bureau of Investigation website, or utilizing the See Something, Say Something mobile app.