Georgia Cop Fired for Bogus DUI Arrests Was Rehired a Week Later — Now, 12 Cases Are Dismissed

A troubling DUI arrest in Rockmart has unraveled into a wider investigation that is now raising serious questions about police procedure, officer oversight, and how many lives may have been upended by questionable arrests.

It began with a late night traffic stop in December. Truck driver Alan Wehunt was heading home from a memorial service when he was pulled over and asked to perform field sobriety tests.

Dash cam video captured parts of the roadside evaluation, but there was no audio. The arresting officer had not activated his body camera until after Wehunt was already seated in the patrol car.

Wehunt repeatedly requested a breathalyzer test. According to him, the officer claimed that the department no longer used them. That statement would later be contradicted by Rockmart’s police chief, who confirmed that multiple breathalyzers are available on every shift.

For Wehunt, the arrest was not just an inconvenience. As a commercial truck driver, a DUI charge could have cost him his livelihood. “I lose my license in a DUI, I’m out the door,” he said in recorded footage. The charge forced him into months of anxiety and more than $5,000 in legal fees.

When his blood alcohol results finally came back, they told a different story. His levels were well below the legal limit.

Officer’s Arrest Record Reveals Multiple Below-Limit Cases

That result prompted a closer look at other DUI arrests made by the same officer, Thomas Jacob Maguire. What investigators found was alarming. Several other drivers he had arrested for DUI also tested below the legal limit. In some cases, prosecutors began dismissing charges.

Rockmart Police Chief Randy Turner did not mince words in a termination letter addressed to Maguire. He wrote that he found it appalling that citizens had gone to jail despite not being impaired and said they should never have been arrested.

He accused the officer of either fabricating reports to justify arrests or lacking the competence to properly assess impairment.

Maguire resigned from the Rockmart Police Department in lieu of termination. But his departure did not mark the end of his law enforcement career.

Just seven days later, he was hired by another department in Tallapoosa, a neighboring city. According to Chief Turner, no one from Tallapoosa contacted him for a background check before extending the job offer. That revelation sparked fresh outrage, this time about hiring practices and interdepartmental communication.

Officer’s History Shows Red Flags and Lax Oversight

Maguire’s employment history shows earlier red flags. Before working in Rockmart, he was terminated during training with the Georgia State Patrol. On his Rockmart application, however, he emphasized having extensive knowledge of DUI enforcement.

When questioned about the body camera issue, Maguire claimed he forgot to turn it on during the initial stop. In conversations with investigators and reporters, he said he stood by his decisions to arrest in each case. He suggested that while police intervention may have been warranted, perhaps not everyone needed to go to jail.

The case also went before the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, commonly known as POST, which oversees officer certification and discipline in the state.

Rather than revoking Maguire’s certification, the council withheld revocation and placed him on one year of probation. That decision allowed him to continue working as an officer during that period.

In total, Chief Turner confirmed that roughly a dozen cases tied to Maguire’s police work have been dismissed so far. Each dismissal represents a person who faced arrest, possible jail time, legal expenses, and reputational damage.

Victim’s Ordeal Highlights Lasting Impact of Wrongful Arrest

For Wehunt, the experience left a lasting impression. He says he still supports law enforcement, but with caution. The ordeal shook his confidence in a system he once trusted without hesitation.

Maguire eventually resigned from the Tallapoosa department as well. In what appears as a show of doggedness or defiance, he has since stated that he is applying to join the Marines and pursue military police work.

 

Ultimately, a questionable DUI arrest ended up exposing deeper concerns about accountability, oversight, and how easily an arrest can alter someone’s life. As more cases are reviewed, the full scope of the damage may still be unfolding.