Two

Peachtree City police officers are denying

charges that they allowed an underage female to

consume alcohol in their presence while they were

off duty at Chili's restaurant last week.

The

officers, whose names are not being released by

the Police Department, remain on full duty status

while the incident is investigated, said Police

Chief Jim Murray. Murray declined to identify the

two officers, citing department policy not to

reveal names of accused persons until they are

charged.

Once

the investigation is complete, the case file will

be forwarded to the State Court solicitor's

office so it can determine whether charges should

be filed, Murray said.

"That

makes it fair all the way around," Murray

said, adding that he hasn't spoken with solicitor

Steve Harris, who is out of town. "We should

let him review it since misdemeanors fall under

his review anyway," he said.

The

department also is considering whether the

officers' actions were in violation of department

policies and procedures, Murray said.

Arrests

were not made at the scene since an officer did

not witness the crime, Murray said. Only in

felony cases can officers make arrests based on

probable cause, and this case would have resulted

in misdemeanor charges, he added.

Police

say the 19-year-old female accused of drinking

from one of the officer's beers

"categorically denies consuming any

alcoholic beverages while at the lounge or having

alcoholic beverages furnished to her by the

off-duty officers."

In

addition to the 19-year-old who allegedly drank

the alcohol, the department has interviewed

"all conceivable witnesses" except two,

Murray said. One of those witnesses is out of

town until next week, he added.

"We

can only go by what people tell us," Murray

said, adding that the department is investigating

the matter in full detail.

The

department issued a five-page press release on

the investigation before it was complete because

it wanted the public to be informed about the

matter, Murray said.

The

two officers arrived by themselves and were

served beers at their table in the lounge by the

manager, the release states.

After

entering with another female, the 19-year-old

female first sat at the bar before visiting

patrons at other tables in the lounge area, the

release states.

Some

time later, she sat down at the table with the

officers because she knew one of them, Murray

said. He added that the girl was not invited to

sit down at the table, but she sat down and

struck up a conversation with them.

The

incident was reported to the Police Department by

a restaurant employee, who called 911 on a

personal cell phone, according to the release.

The manager also was notified, but when he went

to the front to investigate, the 19-year-old

female had left the scene, the release states.

The

news release also refers to a conversation

between the officers and the manager regarding

Chili's employees who were staring at the

officers. The manager and the officers discussed

several employees and patrons of the restaurant

"who were well known to the police as having

criminal records," the release says.

Murray

said the two officers who are being investigated

"are kind of hurt" by the allegations.

But the Police Department will release more

information after it becomes available, he added.

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