Atlanta police officer arrested for rape of Acworth woman
By Joyce Lupiani
WGCL
ATLANTA (WGCL) — An Atlanta Police Department officer has been arrested on suspicion of rape, according to the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, a woman told them that she was raped in her Acworth apartment on Jan. 31 shortly after meeting the suspect.
The woman told police that 32-year-old Lionel Dely of Marietta identified himself as an Atlanta police officer who was conducting an investigation prior to the assault.
Investigators were able to conform that Dely is a police officer. Dely turned himself into deputies at the Cherokee Adult Detention Center on Friday night. The Atlanta Police Department has cooperated during the investigation.
The Atlanta Police Department sent the following:
On February 3, 2022, the Atlanta Police Department learned the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office was conducting an investigation involving one of our officers, Officer Lionel Dely. The Atlanta Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards immediately relieved the officer from duty. On February 14, 2022, the Atlanta Police Department learned of the charges against the officer and the decision was made to suspend him without pay and schedule an emergency hearing to determine the next step regarding the officer’s employment. The officer was not on official business when this incident occurred. However, any additional information regarding the investigation should come from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. The Atlanta Police Department is cooperating with investigators and will continue to do so.
Dely was hired by the police department in April of 2015.
He is currently being held without bond.
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