Savannah, GA: Two SPD officers fired over felon ties, WTOC finds

Credit: Danny / Any County News · Source: WTOC Investigates, Oct. 13, 2026. Badge still: Savannah PD badge from WTOC frame, TV chrome cropped.

SAVANNAH, GA - Savannah Police fired officers Chela Johnson and Tania Marion in May after separate internal investigations into relationships with convicted felons and related policy violations, according to files reviewed by WTOC Investigates.

Assistant Chief Robert Gavin wrote that Johnson's conduct compromised operational trust and placed fellow officers at risk, calling it a second similar incident. Her Civil Service Board appeal upheld the firing. Marion was fired about a month later; her file showed contact with the same felon and another, and that she bonded a convicted felon out of jail. She did not appeal. POST records later show she was hired by the Chatham County Sheriff's Office; Sheriff Coleman told WTOC she was in good standing with POST at hiring.

Personnel actions are not criminal convictions.

Sources: WTOC, Oct 13 2026

Images: savannah-pd-badge.jpg: Savannah PD badge wall photo from WTOC graphic; TV bugs/insets cropped. No AI-generated images.

Tip a local story: email danny@anycountynews.com

Any County News is independent local media and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any law enforcement or government agency.