D.A.'s Office issues 15 warrants against fired East Point Officer

ATLANTA - Investigators with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office issued 15 arrest warrants Friday against a recently fired East Point Police officer on charges he had inappropriate sexual contact with three East Point women.

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard confirmed the warrants against Richard Gooddine to FOX 5’s Aungelique Proctor Friday morning.

According to a news release, the incidents in question took place while Gooddine worked with the department in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

The new warrants come days after East Point Police fired Gooddine following accusations he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl after a traffic stop earlier this month.

The 15 arrest warrants include allegations of aggravated sexual battery and child molestation as well as an accusation that Gooddine tried to intimidate the 15-year-old while she received treatment at Atlanta Medical Center South.

The D.A.’s Office has given Gooddine until 5 p.m. Friday to turn himself in at the Fulton County Jail.

Howard confirmed one of the victims is a woman who told FOX 5 on Thursday she was sexually assaulted by Gooddine in 2016.

Rosa Woodard told FOX 5 she will never forget the 2016 incident.

Woodard said, “He was rude, belligerent, highly unprofessional. I never saw his eyes.”

Woodard claims the encounter with then-Sergeant Gooddine happened after he arrested her for driving on a suspended license and handcuffed her.

Woodard said, “You take your hand and fondle my breast and you do it in a very demeaning manner as it you were getting a thrill out of it.”

According to Woodard, her 4-year-old grandson was in the car with her.

She said the sergeant wore dark sunglasses, smelled of alcohol, and told her he was in charge.

“He said anything he wanted to do to her he could and there was nothing I can do about it.” Woodard said.

According to the 57-year-old woman, she went to the East Point Police Department the next day to report the incident, but she claims no one got back to her when she requested to speak to the Police Chief and City Manager.

In a statement Thursday about Ms. Woodard’s case, East Point Police said, "The case was investigated by the internal affairs division and was unfounded. As far as her not being able to speak to or meet with the chief, is untrue."

The new allegations come the week after East Point Police fired Gooddine following accusations he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl after a traffic stop.

In an Aug.22 statement to FOX 5, East Point Police Chief Tommy Gardner, “On August 22, 2018 Richard Gooddine was officially terminated by the East Point Police Department. It was determined during the course of our internal affairs investigation that Gooddine had violated multiple departmental policies and procedures, which resulted in his termination.”

Late Sunday night, Aug. 19, the teen victim was with three friends when the officer reportedly stopped them for being out past curfew. An incident report states Sergeant Gooddine let the friends go and told the girl to get into his patrol vehicle. The document further stated he then drove the girl around the city for several hours before taking her to an apartment complex on Stanton Road where the alleged assault happened in his SUV.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation into the alleged child molestation at the request of East Point Police.   

According to a G.B.I. document, “it was alleged that EPPD Sgt. Richard Gooddine molested a juvenile female while on duty as a police officer with the EPPD. Investigation continues.”

Two days after the firing, the teen’s mother told FOX 5 she was angry and frustrated.

“At the end of the day my daughter is strong and we're going to make sure we press this matter is handled so this does not happen to any other. I’m not going to say any other person, but at the same time it seems to be targeted for young girls, that this does not happen again. We will not let this fall through the cracks. We will not let East Point just sweep it under the rug. It will be taken care of,” the mother said.

The victim's mother said she plans to fight to make sure no one else suffers this way.

The most recent incident isn’t the first time the G.B.I. has investigated Gooddine.

G.B.I. Public Information Officer Nelly Miles told FOX 5 the agency also investigated a 2011 sexual offense complaint against Gooddine involving a minor.

Miles said the agency completed its investigation and turned everything over the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.

But the case was never prosecuted because Fulton County prosecutors were concerned that a trial could re-traumatize her,” according to a spokesman for the D.A.’s office.

An attorney for the 15-year-old said there are now at least five complaints of sexual misconduct against Gooddine while on duty and sent the following statement to FOX 5:

Ms. Woodard says investigators with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office interviewed her last week about the 2016 incident but she now blames herself for not pressing harder and possibly preventing the assault on the teenager.

“When I saw that I cried because I felt like I could have prevented that,” Woodard said.