Gwinnett County

Prosecutors: Officer entered drug house without warrant, then tried to cover it up

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Prosecutors said a Gwinnett County police officer entered a drug house without a warrant and then tried to cover up his action.

Now, Officer Kevin Sipple is demoted and could face some tough times on the witness stand. The officer has been kicked off the drug task force as prosecutors assess the damage.

“Why would I lie to her?” Sipple said as he spoke to internal affairs investigators.

At issue is his role on a federal drug task force and the seizure of a large stash of heroin and meth that was found in a secret compartment inside a Roswell Road apartment.

“We knew we weren't going to be able to get a search warrant,” Sipple said.

Sipple admitted he couldn't get a warrant, so he took a different route. Apartment manager Jessica Restrepo told investigators that Sipple told her he had to conduct a wellness check.

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No one was in the apartment.

When commanders found out what Sipple had told management, they accused Sipple of violating policy, writing that he "had no lawful reason to enter the apartment and was in violation of the suspect's 4th amendment rights” by entering the home and not having a warrant.

Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Tony Thomas reviewed records that show Sipple was suspended for one day, taken off the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force and sent back to patrol duty.

Gwinnett District Attorney Danny Porter said that a total of 18-19 cases could be affected, but only one case has been dropped entirely.

“It's going to impact him going forward, because every time he's called to the stand, he'll face cross-examination about this,” Porter said.

Investigators said Sipple told them he just didn't want to leave the drugs on the street.

“I mean, I just didn't want to leave it out there,” he said.

Police commanders said that if they receive any more information about the incident, they will investigate further.