Local

Atlanta VA Medical Center police chief reassigned

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News has learned the Atlanta VA's police chief is off the job for now.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant received a tip that the embattled police chief at the Atlanta VA Medical Center had been reassigned.

Police Chief Jeff Garrett was supposed to be back at his post on Monday after a 120-day temporary assignment in Alabama. After sources told Diamant they hadn't seen Garrett, Wednesday afternoon, an email from a department of veterans affairs spokesperson confirmed, "Chief Jeff Garrett has been temporarily assigned to a non-law enforcement position."

But the VA won't give up any specifics about what Garrett is doing now or for how long.

The spokesperson wrote, "Privacy laws in place to protect the rights of individuals prevent VA from publicly discussing agency actions regarding specific employees."

Last month a Channel 2 Action News investigation uncovered the VA's regional director, Charles Sepich had ordered an investigation into allegations of inappropriate computer use by Garrett.

Weeks earlier, our sources told us about a previous investigation into the same allegations, but the VA has refused to tell us how it ended.

Several sources said the latest investigation into Garrett began after Channel 2 Action News started asking questions about the first one.

So far, no one with the VA will say whether Garrett's reassignment has anything to do with the ongoing investigation.

Diamant's phone calls to Garrett Wednesday were not returned.

All of this drama comes the same day Channel 2 Action News confirmed the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs will be at the VA in Atlanta on Aug. 7 to hold hearings sparked by a Channel 2 Action News investigation that found Federal reports blaming mismanagement by hospital leaders for at least three patient deaths.