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A now former Decherd police officer has been arrested after purchasing illegal narcotics off duty.

According to a statement released on Sun, Oct. 1, officials with the Decherd Police Department said they received a complaint that a Decherd officer was illegally purchasing narcotics. The department said the statement was to “foster transparency with the public” regarding the incident.

“An internal investigation was launched into the allegation,” officials said. “During the investigation by Chief (Kenneth) Griffin and Sgt. Inv. (Greg) King, evidence was found to substantiate the allegation.”

The decision was made to initiate a controlled buy to confirm that the suspect, Dustin Cook, was buying prescription drugs illegally. The sting operation took place within Decherd on Thurs, Sept. 28, and Cook was arrested during the operation, with Assistant Chief Paul Bennett and Master Sergeant Tyler Womack providing assistance.

Officials said Cook was terminated from his position at the time of the arrest as “officers must be held to a higher standard and obey the laws they are sworn to uphold.”

The department stated that it has a zero-tolerance drug policy, but does provide resources to help employees who find themselves going down the wrong path.

“Dustin Cook never reached out for assistance and had passed pre-employment and random drug screenings,” officials said.

Cook is free on a $3,500 bond with a Dec. 11 date to appear in court.

The department then encouraged anyone if they or a loved one are struggling with substance abuse issues to seek help to escape their addictions. 

The Decherd Police Department’s statement can be read in full here: