Ex-Deputy to sue police chief for malicious prosecution after traffic stop incident

Grand jury exonerates former deputy

A former Clayton and Fulton County deputy is exonerated after a Fulton County grand jury failed to indict him on a charge of lying to police. Last year, we first told you about a Chattahoochee Hills Police traffic stop involving Quinton Coleman. Coleman and his attorney insisted the charges were bogus all along.

ATLANTA - A Fulton County grand jury declined to indict a former Clayton County and Fulton County deputy on charges that he lied to police, clearing the way for a potential lawsuit against the Chattahoochee Hills police chief.

The backstory:

Quinton Coleman was accused of impersonating an officer and lying to police after a 2024 traffic stop in Chattahoochee Hills. Coleman’s attorney, Mario Williams, said Friday that they plan to file a lawsuit for malicious prosecution against Chief Kevin Digou.

The case stemmed from an April 2024 traffic stop for an alleged seatbelt violation. Body camera video showed an officer identifying himself as "Officer Phillips from Chattahoochee Police Department, Badge #37." Coleman presented his credentials and was allowed to leave. His attorney said four weeks later, Chief Digou obtained warrants for impersonating a police officer and lying to police.

Coleman, a career military and law enforcement officer, called the case humiliating. "You get your face plastered all over the news like you've done something wrong. So there is agency embarrassment. I was actually in roll call getting ready to hit the street in Clayton County when I got pulled out and told I needed to turn myself in," he said.

Coleman had resigned from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office weeks earlier but was still POST certified and hired by the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office six days after the stop. His attorney said the case forced him out of law enforcement, pushing him to work overseas as a contractor in Iraq.

What they're saying:

"The felonies are lying about being a police officer, presenting a document, his ID and a badge... claiming to be a police officer," Digou explained.

Williams described Thursday’s grand jury decision as "stage one." He added, "Labat can say all day long, he wasn't involved and he doesn't know anything about it. You're going to have to make that contention in court. We are going to file a lawsuit for malicious prosecution."

Chief Digou said he was disappointed but respected the outcome. He also said he had no communication with Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat about the case.

Sheriff Labat’s office issued a statement saying, "The criminal charges against Mr. Coleman and the grand jury’s decision are completely unrelated to Sheriff Labat, and any attempt to link him to those matters is both misleading and irresponsible."

What's next:

Coleman said he hopes to become an advocate for inmates and is considering a run for Fulton County Sheriff in 2029. "They know I am smart enough. They know I am capable. I am a graduate of Syracuse University. I will be finishing my master's degree in public administration in May, so I am considering running against him in 2029," said Coleman, a husband and father of four.