Authorities Launch Investigation After Video Shows Deputies Beating Black Detainee

A Georgia sheriff’s office has come under fire over the brutal beating of a Black detainee.

The incident reportedly took place on Sept. 3 in Camden County, Georgia, where 41-year-old Jarrett Hobbs was arrested for non-violent offenses, including speeding, driving with a suspended/revoked license, and possession of a controlled substance. Weeks after the arrest, videos from the Camden County Jail surfaced on social media; they showed five sheriff’s office employees beating Hobbs in a holding cell before dragging him into the hallway, where they appear to strike him with their knees.

According to the New York Times, an officer testified that Hobbs was kicking his cell door before the beating took place, and allegedly refused to comply with orders to stop. 

Following the attack, officers placed the North Carolina resident in solitary confinement and charged him with aggravated battery, simple assault, and obstruction of law enforcement officers.

Harry Daniels, one of the attorneys representing Hobbs, said the officers’ actions were “inexcusable,” and is now calling for criminal charges.

“Mr. Hobbs entered the Camden County Jail suffering a psychological episode and asking to be placed in protective confinement. But instead of protecting him, these deputies jumped him and beat and kicked him mercilessly like a gang of dangerous thugs,” Daniels wrote in a statement, adding that the officers also ripped a loc out of Hobbs’ scalp. “This wasn’t some arrest that got out of hand or a judgment call made out of fear for your life. This was targeted gang violence pure and simple. It just so happens that the gang members were wearing badges and we’re calling on the District Attorney to bring charges immediately.”

The Georgia Bureau of Investigations confirmed it is looking into the incident, while the Camden County Sheriff’s office conducts an internal investigation.

The sheriff’s office has not identified the five officers in the video, but said they have each been placed on administrative duty.

“This was done so they would be readily available for interviews by the investigators conducting the investigation,” Captain James L. Bruce told FOX 5.