By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Two Peachtree City police officers are denying charges that they allowed an underage female to consume alcohol in their presence while they were off duty at Chili's restaurant last week.

The officers, whose names are not being released by the Police Department, remain on full duty status while the incident is investigated, said Police Chief Jim Murray. Murray declined to identify the two officers, citing department policy not to reveal names of accused persons until they are charged.

Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be forwarded to the State Court solicitor's office so it can determine whether charges should be filed, Murray said.

“That makes it fair all the way around,” Murray said, adding that he hasn't spoken with solicitor Steve Harris, who is out of town. “We should let him review it since misdemeanors fall under his review anyway,” he said.

The department also is considering whether the officers' actions were in violation of department policies and procedures, Murray said.

Arrests were not made at the scene since an officer did not witness the crime, Murray said. Only in felony cases can officers make arrests based on probable cause, and this case would have resulted in misdemeanor charges, he added.

Police say the 19-year-old female accused of drinking from one of the officer's beers “categorically denies consuming any alcoholic beverages while at the lounge or having alcoholic beverages furnished to her by the off-duty officers.”

In addition to the 19-year-old who allegedly drank the alcohol, the department has interviewed “all conceivable witnesses” except two, Murray said. One of those witnesses is out of town until next week, he added.

“We can only go by what people tell us,” Murray said, adding that the department is investigating the matter in full detail.

The department issued a five-page press release on the investigation before it was complete because it wanted the public to be informed about the matter, Murray said.

The two officers arrived by themselves and were served beers at their table in the lounge by the manager, the release states.

After entering with another female, the 19-year-old female first sat at the bar before visiting patrons at other tables in the lounge area, the release states.

Some time later, she sat down at the table with the officers because she knew one of them, Murray said. He added that the girl was not invited to sit down at the table, but she sat down and struck up a conversation with them.

The incident was reported to the Police Department by a restaurant employee, who called 911 on a personal cell phone, according to the release. The manager also was notified, but when he went to the front to investigate, the 19-year-old female had left the scene, the release states.

The news release also refers to a conversation between the officers and the manager regarding Chili's employees who were staring at the officers. The manager and the officers discussed several employees and patrons of the restaurant “who were well known to the police as having criminal records,” the release says.

Murray said the two officers who are being investigated “are kind of hurt” by the allegations. But the Police Department will release more information after it becomes available, he added.