A sergeant with the Hapeville Police Department in Georgia has resigned following her arrest on child cruelty charges. Shada Canzater, 35, was taken into custody by the Houston County Sheriff's Office on August 31.
Canzater faces charges of first-degree cruelty to children, aggravated assault, and simple assault for family violence. Her bond was set at $5,000. Details surrounding the incident that led to her arrest have not been publicly disclosed by officials.
The resignation comes just over one month after the Hapeville Police Department celebrated Canzater's promotion to sergeant. Police Chief Bruce M Hedley had commented on the promotion in an August 5 social media post, stating that such advancements represent dedication, hard work, and earned trust within the community.
Records indicate Canzater had been employed by the Hapeville Police Department since May 2019 and had received two promotions. Her file with the Georgia Police Officer Standards and Training Council shows a prior investigation in 2024 related to an incident the previous year.
In that earlier incident, Canzater was arrested in July 2024 in connection with the death of Donell Holiday, 63, who was struck and killed by her patrol vehicle in March 2024. Holiday, an Air Force veteran, was reportedly crossing the street on his way to work when he was hit. Affidavits suggest Holiday may have attempted to signal Canzater to stop before the collision. He died on March 8, 2024, after suffering fatal injuries.
Canzater faced four misdemeanor counts related to Holiday's death, including two counts of second-degree homicide by vehicle, failure to yield the right-of-way at a crosswalk, and failure to yield to a pedestrian. A final plea hearing was scheduled for later in September 2026.