Two former Dunwoody Police Department employees were honored on National Whistleblower Day.
The National Whistleblower Center, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting whistleblowers around the world, celebrated National Whistleblower Day, which fell on July 30, with a weekend-long virtual event. Former Dunwoody Police Officer Austin Handle and former prison transport officer Brian Bolden were two of the people recognized by the nonprofit. Both Handle and Bolden had to submit their names to the center in order to be recognized.
“For us to be honored and recognized on National Whistleblower Appreciation Day is an emotional moment,” Bolden and Handle said in a joint statement. “NWD is a day that our families will celebrate going forward every year. It is a day that proves we are not alone in seeking sound ethics in both government and policing. Our stories, like many other whistleblowers, are defined by duty, integrity, and service.”
The Dunwoody Police Department fired Handle in 2020, citing an internal affairs investigation that found he allegedly used his police car’s emergency equipment and sped through his neighborhood and then lied about it. But Handle alleges he was fired in a case of retaliation for speaking up about misconduct from former Lt. Fidel Espinoza. In 2020, multiple officers accused Espinoza of sexual harassment. Espinoza resigned about five days after the first complaints were filed.
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