Founder of police watchdog group arrested for impersonating officer

Deputies told Channel 2 Action News the founder of a police watchdog group is behind bars for impersonating an officer.

Jonathan Beavers of Canton was arrested on a charge of impersonating an officer and currently remains in the Cherokee County jail.

Channel 2's Cobb County Bureau Chief Chris Jose learned Beavers drives around with a police scanner. Jose spoke to members of his family, who said he listens for calls and records police with his cellphone.

"He would never do something like that. Never," said Woylene Waldroup, Beavers' mother.

The sheriff's office said deputies working on patrol heard a man over the radio providing inaccurate details about calls for service. Investigators traced the call back to Beavers and searched his home.

Beavers lives with his mother.

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"They busted through the door. I made them go get the search warrant. They were in there looking for some sort of CDs," Waldroup said.

Waldroup said her son founded the group, Georgia Cop Block. 

His father told Jose that Beavers records officers to hold them accountable for their actions.

"That's the first thing they said when they came through the door, "Cop Block." They have a vendetta against Jonathan," his father, Milton Beavers, said.

Beavers' parents said deputies played them the radio call but they're not convinced it's their son.

The sheriff's office called the interference "potentially dangerous."

"They may have some audio stating that is Jonathan, but you actually have to prove Jonathan actually mashed that button and that button wasn't mashed accidentally," said Milton Beavers.

Cox Media Group