JONESBORO, Ga. — Jonesboro Police has called the state's top law enforcement agency to investigate an officer's allegations against the city's mayor.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been asked to look into a claim that Mayor Donya Sartor pointed a gun at a police lieutenant.
In an interview with 11Alive's Erica Murphy, the mayor wants to clear up what she said are false claims against her.
“I believe it's politically motivated,” Sartor said.
Sartor, who is the city's first Black mayor, was elected five months ago.
In a letter from Jonesboro’s police chief to the Clayton County District Attorney's Office asking to investigate the allegations, the lieutenant said the mayor took out a gun from her desk and pointed it directly at him, before putting the gun in her handbag. The correspondence can be found at the bottom of this story.
One day after receiving the police chief’s letter, the district attorney’s office requested GBI’s assistance as an impartial third party to review the allegations.
Sartor admitted she took the gun out - but denied pointing it at anyone.
“I transferred the gun from a locked drawer to my purse in front of him. It was never toward him. It was not a loaded gun,” Sartor said.
She also refuted allegations that the police lieutenant was left feeling vulnerable and threatened.
“He entered and exited my office seven more additional times. One of those times he actually helped me do some measurements in my wall," she said. "He also texted me the following morning and we worked side by side at a community event, a food distribution."
Now the mayor's actions are under scrutiny.
Last week, the city council called an emergency special meeting in executive session to discuss personnel matters.
However, the mayor maintains the allegations are an attempt to force her out of office.
“I do believe a lot of this is connected to me being the first African American in this situation,” said Sartor.
11Alive reached out to the police chief, city council, city attorney, and city manager to ask them about the accusations too.
No one agreed to comment on the story.