SHARPSBURG, Ga. — A Coweta County firefighter is facing theft charges and is expected to lose his job after he was arrested for allegedly stealing a gun silencer from a house fire victim.
“Public trust is important to Coweta County. We have a code of ethics that does not tolerate this kind of behavior,” said Coweta County Fire Chief Pat Wilson.
Logan Thomas Bowden, 24, was arrested and charged with theft by taking. He had been a firefighter with the Coweta County Fire Department for about a year, Wilson said. He joined the department through its recruitment program.
The homeowner realized the gun silencer was missing after a fire at his home on Cannon Road in Sharpsburg on Jan. 29, according to the police report from the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office. He told the fire commander that the silencer was attached to a rifle that was in a room above the garage.
The Armament silencer was on a Surgeon custom 6.5x47 rifle and was attached by a quick detach flash hider. According to police, the person who removed the silencer would have had to unscrew the flash hider and the silencer off the rifle. The homeowner purchased the silencer legally and the tax stamp was approved by the ATF in 2013. It was worth about $1,600, according to the police report.
The fire commander provided the sheriff’s department with the names of the 28 responders to the fire that day – including supervisors on scene. Detectives also obtained permission to search their cars and belongings for the gun part and all fire engines were searched.
Bowden was arrested for theft by taking and booked into Coweta County Jail. Wilson said Bowden was immediately placed on leave from the Coweta County Fire Department and termination proceedings are underway.
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