Varnell (GA) Police Officer Kevin Brooks was killed Saturday night after officers responded to a single vehicle crash involving a vehicle at high speed.
Further investigation revealed that Brooks also suffered a gunshot wound.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation report that they do not suspect any foul play.
Varnell Police Chief Lyle Grant posted the below message on their Facebook Page Sunday afternoon:
It is with a heavy heart that I am posting this press release regarding one of our part time police officers, Mr. Kevin Brooks. On the night of November 18, 2017 at approximately 9:15pm the command staff of the Varnell Police Department was notified by officials in Catoosa County, Georgia regarding the death of Officer Brooks who was off duty and in his personally owned vehicle. Officer Brooks was a part time patrol officer and detective with our agency, and was last on shift the evening of November 13, 2017. His next date to report for duty would have been November 19, 2017. We were informed that the Ringgold Police Department, Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation were on scene of a single vehicle crash near I-75 exit 345 where Mr. Brooks was found deceased. Details regarding this crash and his untimely death are still being investigated by officials in Catoosa County and all questions should be directed to the respective agencies in that jurisdiction for media inquiries.
Officer Brooks will be sorely missed by our agency. Officer Brooks actually went above and beyond with our department being both a
patrol officer on the street, and also a criminal investigator. He has investigated cases of domestic violence, sexual based crimes and narcotics crimes in our city, and works cases with other local detectives. Officer Brooks has worked for our agency on a part time bases from 2005-2007, and again from 2014 to the present date. Officer Brooks also has extensive other full time police employment with different agencies in both Georgia and Tennessee ranging from state government positions, and a two time chief of police with an agency in Southwest Georgia and one in Northeast Georgia. Most recently he was a corporate security and loss prevention manager while working part time with us at Varnell PD, Tunnel Hill PD, and also the Town of Cohutta Police Department as a reserve officer here in the Northwest Georgia area.
Specific examples where Officer Kevin Brooks has been a shining star with our agencies include in 2016 he was the lead investigator on an operation with illegal underage alcohol sales in our jurisdiction. During this operation Officer Brooks was able to identify numerous locations selling alcohol to minors in violation of Georgia law, and he was able to hold 4 businesses accountable in our jurisdiction violating Georgia law with his investigations. On this operation he worked closely with the Georgia Department of Revenue special agents to not only hold those accountable criminally, but also civilly. Also in 2016 Officer Brooks worked a child molestation case over the period of 3 months with the assistance of the Whitfield County District Attorney’s Office and he was able to exceptionally clear the case with all parties. Officer Brooks is also currently certified by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation as a state certified marijuana identification expert, and works close with our evidence technicians being an expert witness in our municipal court and state courts on cases related to illegal possession of marijuana in our city. Officer Brooks in 2015 also exceptionally cleared a theft case involving illegal use of credit cards at a local grocery store. Finally, Officer Brooks who is also a Georgia POST certified internal affairs investigator was able to clear one of our officers of wrong doing during a traffic stop, and ultimately the victim/complainant was found to be lying to investigators during the course of the entire investigation. The complainant ended up being arrested for filing a false report – the suspect plead guilty in court in 2017. Officer Brooks is certified by Georgia POST in the following areas with our agency: Field Training Officer, RADAR speed detection, LIDAR speed detection, GBI certified marijuana examiner, Internal Affairs Investigations, Child Death Investigations, Criminal Investigations, Gang Investigations, School Resource Officer, and Financial Crime Investigations.
In closing the loss of Officer Kevin Brooks on both a professional and personal level will be and has made a tragic impact on our agency and those of us who called him a co-worker and friend. We ask for your thoughts and prayers during our time of loss, and that you keep the Brooks family in your prayers as well. Your kindness and compassion towards our agency and officers has already been felt with some of the private messages we have received and phone calls, and for that we are appreciative more than you all will ever know. Thank you again friends for your support of our agency and our officers during this time of loss.
Chief Lyle Grant