A domestic dispute and a question about who knew whom

On April 14, 2024, Sergeant Richard A. Pike and Deputy Kerrianne Fox responded to a domestic dispute involving Leslie Maass and her boyfriend Randy Pearson in Canton, Georgia, incident SO24-005061. Maass later complained that Pearson had claimed to know people in Cherokee County law enforcement and suggested he could avoid arrest if she called police. She believed the officers’ behavior was unprofessional and described them as appearing to smirk. These were allegations, not findings.

Maass contacted the Sheriff’s Office on July 12, 2024. Her later emails raised additional allegations about Pearson and businesses associated with him. The internal affairs inquiry addressed the deputies’ alleged prior acquaintance and conduct during the April response. The separate claims about Pearson’s alleged activities were not substantiated by this internal affairs finding.

The evidence investigators reviewed

Lieutenant David M. Barone of the Office of Professional Standards interviewed Pike, Fox and Pearson. Pike said he had not met Pearson before the domestic dispute. Fox also denied knowing Pearson beforehand and said she had not heard of Capital City Electric before that call. Pearson told Barone he did not know any Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office officer.

Barone reviewed body camera footage from both deputies. He wrote that he did not observe either officer smirk at Maass and concluded they behaved professionally throughout the encounter. The supplied investigative PDF documents that review but does not contain playable body camera video.

Final disposition: both EXONERATED

Captain Kim Thompson’s July 18, 2024 final report applied Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Policy 01-03-02(F)(2), addressing unbecoming conduct. It concluded that neither Pike nor Fox violated the policy. The complaint paperwork records an EXONERATED finding and no further action required. Lieutenant Colonel W. J. Smith received the final report. An administrative exoneration is not a judicial finding; it is the agency’s documented determination.

The officers and their roles

Sergeant Richard A. Pike

Named subject of complaint. Georgia POST records dated September 21, 2026 list his Cherokee County service from April 2010 and promotion to sergeant in May 2022. His profile lists instructor credentials in use of force and defensive tactics and no state POST sanctions or investigations.

Deputy Kerrianne Patricia Fox

Named subject of complaint. Her POST profile lists Cherokee County employment beginning as a jailer in May 2020 and deputy sheriff service since December 2021. The profile lists good standing and no state POST sanctions.

Other personnel: Lieutenant David M. Barone investigated; Captain Kim Thompson authored the final report; Lieutenant Colonel W. J. Smith was the recipient. They were not the accused deputies in this case.

Why this record matters

Original internal affairs records allow readers to distinguish what a complainant alleged from what investigators documented and concluded. Here the agency reviewed the two officers’ body cameras, obtained statements and cleared both officers. This article preserves that result prominently while making the underlying paperwork accessible for independent examination.

Editorial disclaimer: Both Pike and Fox were exonerated. Allegations are not established misconduct. Separate claims about civilians and companies in the correspondence are not findings of fact. Updated October 2026.