A Chattanooga police officer has been arrested and placed on leave after an incident on Saturday, according to a news release.
Michael Early was charged with aggravated burglary and simple assault after officers responded to a report of a burglary shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday.
The victim of the incident told investigators that Early identified himself as a police officer and “unlawfully entered the residence, yelling and displaying physical behavior that caused him to fear he may be assaulted,” the release states. Authorities said Early was not on duty at the time of the incident.
Officer Early was involved in an incident several years ago in which he was stopped by a Collegedale Police Department officer on suspicion of driving under the influence, but rather than being arrested was driven home by the officer, records show. An internal investigation by the Chattanooga Police Department then showed the Collegedale officer reported he did so because he took “that blue line — serious.”
Early was booked into the Silverdale Detention Center and will remain on leave until there is a final disposition in the internal affairs investigation, police said. He was hired by the Chattanooga Police Department in 1994.
He is the now the subject of an internal investigation.
– Compiled by Kiara Green