DOUGLAS, Ga. (WALB) — The Douglas Police Department is reviewing an officer’s conduct after residents filed multiple complaints against him in his first two years on the job. The complaints range from harassment to unnecessary traffic stops.

Resident records encounter with officer

Devontae Campbell says he was walking to a store from his brother’s house when he decided to record his interaction with Officer Jonathan Calderon.

“I was just making sure that everybody knew what was going on, and that I’d be straight, that I’d be all right,” Campbell said.

According to the Douglas Police Department, Campbell was walking on E Leon Street on Aug. 13 when Calderon approached him. Campbell declined to talk and kept walking. Campbell said that’s when the officer’s hand moved to his Taser.

“That’s when I stopped,” Campbell said.

The Douglas Police Department confirms Calderon left after that first encounter, but says he later saw Campbell walking in the road, giving him probable cause for a second stop. Campbell was arrested and charged with resisting officers.

East Leon Street, where the encounter happened, has no sidewalks. Campbell says he walks the route every day.

Complaint filed against officer

Campbell filed a complaint against Calderon, saying he would be one of more than 20 complaints filed against the officer.

Campbell says he hopes his complaint will make a difference.

WALB found Calderon has received 22 complaints since being hired in March of 2024. Department records show Calderon made 2,229 traffic stops during that time period.

Department data on complaints, citations and warnings

Department records provided to WALB show Officer Jonathan Calderon received 22 complaints between March 2024 and August 2026.

Calderon was hired in March 2024 — just two days before Officer Murphy. During that same period, Calderon made more than 2,200 traffic stops and received 22 complaints. Murphy made 673 stops and received one complaint.

That means Calderon conducted about three times as many traffic stops as Murphy — but received 22 times as many complaints. When adjusted for the number of stops, Calderon’s complaint rate was more than six times Murphy’s.

Data from March 11, 2024 to August 14, 2026:

• Officer Calderon — hired March 2024: 22 complaints, 797 citations, 1,058 warnings.
• Sgt. S. Williams — hired August 13, 2000: 2 complaints, 5 citations, 109 warnings, 213 total traffic stops.
• Officer Murphy — hired March 13, 2024: 1 complaint, 226 citations, 318 warnings, 673 total traffic stops.

The department said complaints against officers are handled through its complaint process or referred to an Internal Affairs investigation, depending on the nature of the complaint. The department said records related to these matters can be requested through the Georgia Open Records Act.

Former NAACP president calls for change

Former NAACP President Larry Neesmith is calling for change.

“If they so petty about somebody walking the street, go get some of these drugs that are selling all these pills and all of that stuff. That’s what we need help with. We need help with these serious, major crimes,” Neesmith said.

Other residents describe encounters

Yolanda McElhaney described an alleged encounter with Calderon during a traffic stop in August that left her feeling unsafe.

“Because I felt like that night my life was in danger,” McElhaney said.

McElhaney even filed a complaint and a civil lawsuit on the officer.

Douglas resident, Betty Young, says her son-in-law called police for help, but after Calderon arrived, he threatened to take her son-in-law to jail.

LATEST NEWS FROM WALB:

“You know, then what the future holds for our children, our grandchildren... And it’s sad, and it breaks my heart to see our young people having to go through stuff like this,” Young said.

Former city officials call for community council

Olivia Coley Pearson, a former mayor pro tem and city commissioner, believes there needs to be a council to serve as a bridge between police and the public.

“We called at that time the City of Douglas Community Relations Advisory Council... And that council was set up to address issues such as this. Years down the road, some people said we didn’t need it... We needed it, and we still need it,” Pearson said.

Kentaiwon Carter-Durham, former Ward 2 commissioner for the City of Douglas, said filing a complaint gives residents a voice.

“You have to come out of that zone and say that I want to make a difference in my community... Without a complaint, you don’t have a voice,” Carter-Durham said.

Douglas Police Department’s full statement

The Douglas Police Department provided the following statement in response to a request for comment:

“Thank you for reaching out via email on Friday, August 14, 2026, regarding your request for comment concerning the August 13 arrest and resident concerns regarding Officer Calderon.

Regarding the incident referenced in the video obtained from Facebook, the Douglas Police Department is aware of the video and is currently looking into the incident. I have instructed Captain Whitley to send you the video. Here is a brief synopsis:

What is seen in the video is the officer initially stops and asked the individual if he would speak with him. This initial encounter was a tier one consensual encounter. The individual says no. The officer then leaves with no further engagement. Once the officer has gotten down the road the officer witnessed the pedestrian in the roadway, he now had probable cause to investigate. Citizen must now provide correct name at that point.

After driving off, officer sees individual standing/walking near the middle of the road. This is a violation of O.C.G.A. 40-6-96. Pedestrians on or along roadway. The second stop was a 3rd tier police/citizen encounter because officer witnessed the pedestrian walking in the roadway as opposed to the shoulder or next to the pavement edge.

Based on the observed violation, officer now had probable cause to stop individual and address the violation, which includes gaining identification for the warning or charge. When the individual refused to come to officer, when lawfully instructed to do so, and refused to identify himself, this resulted in officer charging him with City Ordinance 26-4, Resisting officers. Yes, the initial violation, 40-6-96 is minor, but a violation of the law.

Our department remains committed to ensuring public safety in the City of Douglas and ensuring all of our officers are properly trained and comply with Georgia laws. We regret that negative public interactions occur, but they are also expected as we realize that people who are arrested are seldom ‘happy’ about receiving a citation or being arrested. That being said, our officers also enthusiastically participate in several community service efforts to promote positive interactions and trust between the Douglas Police Department and the public. We have an end-of-school Summer Bash, Dinner Before the Bell, our officer’s hand out vouchers for free custard/ice cream from Freddy’s and Dairy Queen to citizens who properly use car seats, and we hand out candy at Halloween and ensure kids can trick-or-treat safely in high-traffic areas as well other service programs.

We continue to strive for transparency and accountability as we act to keep the City of Douglas safe and will move to correct and improve training for our department as we identify issues that need to be addressed in providing this vital service to our citizens.

Regarding the specific questions outlined in your email, we would need additional information to identify the incidents referenced in bullets 1 and 3. We are aware of the incidents referenced in bullets 2 and 4, and those matters have been reviewed.

If you would like to request records related to these matters, you may submit an Open Records Request. Any responsive records will be provided in accordance with the Georgia Open Records Act and the parameters of applicable law.

The Douglas Police Department has established policies and procedures for handling complaints. Depending on the nature and circumstances of a complaint, it may be handled through the department’s complaint process or referred for an Internal Affairs investigation.

Officer Cauldron was hired in March of 2024 and went to the police academy after being hired. Since his time on patrol, he has a total of 797 citations and 1,058 warnings. Since his hiring to today’s date he has 22 complaints.

The department said Calderon’s Field Training Officers were Nathaniel Roberts and Patrick West."

Mayor has not responded to request for comment

WALB reached out to Douglas Mayor Tony Paulk as well, inviting him to Unity Park at 10 a.m. Tuesday to hear these concerns or issue a statement regarding them. As of the publication of this article, he has not replied to this request.

Durham and Pearson both said city leadership, including the mayor and city council, share responsibility for police department oversight and training.

“It’s their job to make sure the officer is doing their job and not harassing our community and treating our citizens wrong,” Durham said.

Pearson said she would encourage residents to continue submitting formal written complaints. “It’s time out for citizens to just sit there and go back and forth on Facebook,” she said.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X. For more south Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.