Deputy Fired After Unlawfully Pulling Over Former Atlanta Hawk Mike Scott

On July 30, 2015, former Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Scott was pulled over by a deputy from the Banks County Sheriff’s office. The officer, deputy Brent Register, found 1.2 ounces of weed and 10.9 grams of MDMA in the car and arrested Scott and his brother, Antonn. Last week, the case against the Scotts was thrown out after a judge determined that the traffic stop was racially motivated, and on Sunday Register was fired.

Banks County Superior Court Judge Currie M. Mingledorff dismissed the case after determining that Register had no grounds to stop Scott’s car and had no probable cause to search the car. From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

But in his eight-page ruling, Mingledorff gutted the sheriff office’s handling of the case, singling out Deputy Brent Register, a key witness, of providing “testimony that was in contradiction to admitted documentary evidence.” Mingledorff also found it “surprising and concerning” there was no video evidence provided of the stop “in an era in which police conduct is so carefully scrutinized.”

The ruling noted that between 2015-16, Register stopped over 1,400 vehicles, resulting in eight citations issued and 47 arrests. Forty-four of those arrested were minorities, Mingledorff noting, “These numbers are truly shocking.”

On Sunday, Banks News Today that Register had been fired. A sheriff’s office spokesman said, “We addressed an issue that was brought to our attention immediately. In the profession of law enforcement, issues will arise in every agency due to an essence of individuals being imperfect. One officer’s actions does not reflect the agency as a whole.”