AMERICUS, Ga. — A Georgia woman told police she lied about being HIV-positive in a viral Facebook Live rant in which she claimed to have intentionally infected others.
Americus Police Maj. Herman Lamar told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Brandi Yakeima Lasiter met with detectives and showed them results of a September 2018 blood test indicating she did not have HIV. Lamar said she agreed to take an additional blood test.
Americus police began investigating after receiving links last week to the video that showed Lasiter naming men she claimed to have infected, along with their wives and girlfriends.
“She stated she was angry at the people named in the video when she posted it,” Lamar said.
He said that during her interview with investigators Tuesday, Lasiter also agreed to take a new blood test to prove her HIV status. Police are awaiting results of that test before deciding whether she should face charges, Lamar said.
It is a felony in Georgia to knowingly transmit HIV.
Americus police began investigating Friday after one of the men named in the video filed a complaint and forwarded police a link to the video, Lamar said.
According to Georgia Department of Public Heath documents, 2,698 people in the state were diagnosed with HIV in 2017, which is the most recent statistics.
Americus is in rural southern Georgia about 140 miles (225 kilometers) south of Atlanta.
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