Atlanta police officer arrested after investigators say he harassed his girlfriend

ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News has uncovered exclusive details about the overnight arrest of an Atlanta police officer.

Investigators said he threatened to kidnap his ex-girlfriend before trying to break into her home.

Jason Ricketts is now facing a harassment charge tied to the early morning disturbance at his ex-girlfriend's Lithonia home.

Ricketts has been with the Atlanta Police Department since 2015.

Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Nicole Carr spoke to a witness who is worried the officer abused his police power when he showed up to the house.

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"I don't even know anything about him. He found out everything about me because he a police officer," said B.J. Herring.

Herring said his visit to a new friend's home went downhill when the off-duty Atlanta police officer showed up shouting and pounding on the front door around midnight on Tuesday.

"If I'd known he'd be poppin' up at the house like that, I wouldn't have even came over there. I would have invited her to my house," Herring said.

Ricketts' ex-girlfriend is the daughter of a metro Atlanta sheriff. She called 911 when Ricketts began pounding on the door, then Herring says, they peeped through the blinds to see the APD officer inspecting his car.

"He was getting my tag number, and then he got on the phone and I guess called somebody he knew that might have been at work," Herring said.

Minutes later, Ricketts called his ex from outside demanding to know more about her visitor. He identified Herring by a his full name.

"That was the crazy thing. Me and her, we just met. She didn't even know my real name. She just knew my nickname and when he called back, she ended up finding out what my real name was," Herring said.

Atlanta police were notified of Ricketts' arrest while DeKalb police began to investigate recent threatening text messages from the officer to his ex.

"He said he was going to kidnap her," said Shiera Campbell, a spokeswoman for the DeKalb County Police Department. "They had been in a relationship and it didn't end well."

"If anything happen in the future between me and him then you already know it's about a chick that he not even with no more and he just happen to see my car outside in the driveway," Herring said.

Records show Ricketts posted a $2,000 bond, and was released from the DeKalb County jail on Tuesday morning.

The Atlanta Police Department confirms the Office of Professional Standards’ internal investigation will look into whether APD personnel and or resources were used to run Herring’s tag number.

APD sent Channel 2 Action News the following statement: "We are aware of Officer Ricketts' arrest today and have referred the incident to our Office of Professional Standards for internal investigation. Officer Ricketts has been relieved of duty, meaning he is in a non-law enforcement capacity until further notice and action by the Department."

Cox Media Group