The Georgia police officer who mistakenly pulled over a woman who was later detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement has resigned.
In a resignation letter obtained by Scripps News, Leslie O'Neal said his decision stems from the Dalton Police Department's "inadequate response to and defense against public accusations of false arrest, which arose after a charge from a valid arrest was publicly dropped without explanation."
He added, "The department's silence in the face of widespread defamation has not only made my position personally untenable but has also created an environment where I can no longer effectively carry out my duties within the city of Dalton without fear of further backlash from the community."
O'Neal stopped Ximena Arias-Cristobal, a college student who was brought to the country illegally as a 4-year-old, on May 5.
Dash-cam video from that day shows a black pickup truck driving past the officer.
RELATED STORY | <b>Judge orders the Trump administration to return a Guatemalan deported to Mexico to the US</b>
According to police, O'Neal saw the driver of that black truck, off camera, make an illegal right turn on red at a busy intersection. He pursued what he thought was the pickup truck but mistakenly pulled over a dark gray truck instead, driven by Arias-Cristobal.
The 19-year-old told O'Neal that she had an international license, but did not have it on her.
“In the state of Georgia, when you’re driving without a license, do you know what happens?” the officer asks.
“No, sir,” Arias-Cristobal responds.
“You ever been to jail?” He asks.
"Well, you’re going,” the officer says.
After reviewing the video, authorities in Georgia dropped the traffic charges against Arias-Cristobal, acknowledging she should not have been pulled over.
However, she was taken into ICE custody because she is in the country illegally. An immigration judge allowed her release last week on a $1,500 bond.
Arias-Cristobal is expected to publicly talk about her case on Tuesday.
