Perhaps the law is different in Georgia, but I am told that here in my state, a police officer is regarded as legit law enforcement until he dies.
I've been told that many times by police officers whom I have happened to know over the years.
But what is this artificial barrier you have created before he retired and after he retired?
Why do you see a boundary there? It's the same man doing exactly the same job he has always done, yet there is something about retirement that suddenly makes him incompetent and/or illegitimate?
His actions would have probably been even more aggressive had he still been an active duty cop.
Once a peace officer, always a peace officer. That's what they tell me anyways.
“But what is this artificial barrier you have created before he retired and after he retired? Why do you see a boundary there? It’s the same man doing exactly the same job he has always done, yet there is something about retirement that suddenly makes him incompetent and/or illegitimate?”
Yeah, it’s called color of law. He is no longer a police officer; thus he cannot act under color of law anymore.
Did the police department provide for his defense? No, because he was not on the force, and he was not acting under color of law.
“Perhaps the law is different in Georgia, but I am told that here in my state, a police officer is regarded as legit law enforcement until he dies. I’ve been told that many times by police officers whom I have happened to know over the years.”
Before I retired, I was a litigation analyst in the insurance industry. During my long career, with one of my companies I handled law enforcement liability cases, which included 42 USC 1983 cases. Neither we — the insurer — nor the law enforcement agency (be it municipal or state) would defend a current or retired cop who was not acting within the course and scope of his or her position with that agency or department. And NO retired cops were ever covered unless they were deputized for a specific purpose.