The complaint in the detention center lobby

In July 2024, Jennifer Mizzell complained about her interaction with Cherokee County Deputy Andre Marzola inside the Adult Detention Center lobby. Her husband, Chase Mizzell, had been stopped by Deputy Max Miller during a separate investigation of possible impaired driving. Jennifer came to the detention center and encountered Deputies Wilfrid Francois and Joshua Johnson before Marzola entered. She alleged Marzola yelled at her to step back and acted aggressively while correcting another deputy. These were allegations, not findings of misconduct.

What investigators examined

Lieutenant Michael Imbriano reviewed available lobby video and audio and gathered statements from Johnson, Francois and Marzola. His memorandum describes Marzola entering at approximately 2:36 a.m. and directing Mizzell toward the ISS desk while correcting deputies about lobby entry and safety procedures. Imbriano reported that Marzola spoke in a conversational tone and that the comments to the deputies were not directed at Mizzell. The recording’s audio was not always easy to hear, an important limitation.

Johnson said Marzola did not raise his voice at Mizzell, but described a tug on his vest as aggressive. Francois described the security concerns in the lobby. Marzola said he was attempting to correct procedures and apologized when the visitor appeared upset. The evidence supported the supervisor’s conclusion that the complaint did not establish a courtesy-policy violation.

A finding in the deputy’s favor, with a caution

Although Imbriano considered Marzola’s concern about jail security appropriate, he also identified an opportunity to review how deputies speak to one another in front of civilians and how their conduct might be perceived. The supervisor described Marzola as an informal leader who should remain mindful of his public-facing behavior. That observation was coaching, not a sustained violation or formal punishment.

The agency’s final report dated August 1, 2024 identified the applicable courtesy rule as Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Policy 01-03-02(F)(6) and marked the complaint against Marzola EXONERATED. Separate allegations against Miller were also exonerated. The final report appears to contain an opening date inconsistent with the July event chronology; the original document is provided so readers can examine that discrepancy themselves.

The separate DUI investigation

The same case file addresses Miller’s traffic stop, a reported .000 breath alcohol reading, and a later drug recognition assessment. Those questions concern the arrest investigation, not a DUI decision made by Marzola. SOS has separately reported on the case: DUI Arrested, Then the Drug Recognition Expert Said Not Impaired ↗.

What the Georgia POST record shows

The October 9, 2026 Georgia POST profile identifies Marzola as a Cherokee County deputy, actively employed and in good standing. His prior Cobb County Police Department employment ran from April 20, 2020 through February 6, 2021, ending in voluntary resignation. His Cherokee County employment began November 1, 2021. The profile lists active basic law enforcement and jailer certifications, 1,301 training hours and no state POST sanctions or investigations. This does not erase the existence of the local complaint, which ended in exoneration. Recorded training includes de-escalation, ethics, community policing and defensive tactics; training attendance alone cannot establish conduct during this encounter.

Editorial note: Marzola was exonerated. This report documents an allegation and the agency’s response, not a criminal conviction or sustained misconduct finding. The documents contain redactions, and agency conclusions are identified as such.