WOODBINE, Ga. — WARNING: Some viewers may find the video above difficult to watch
Three officers who were involved in the beating of an inmate at the Camden County Jail in Woodbine in September have been indicted by the Grand Jury, District Attorney Keith Higgins announced Thursday.
Action News Jax told you in November when the officers were fired, arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and released on bond.
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Mason Garrick, Braxton Massey, and Ryan Biegel were indicted on the following charges:
- Battery
- Simple Battery
- Two counts each of Violation of Oath by Public Officer
After the video of the beating was released on social media, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office said Monday, Nov. 14 it was conducting an internal investigation.
CCSO said at that time that their investigation would “include all recorded video from the time the inmate entered the facility on September 3rd, 2022 until his release on September 30th, 2022.”
READ: Civil rights leaders call for arrest of officers accused of beating Camden County inmate
On Tuesday, Nov. 15, Higgins, who represents the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, requested that the GBI conducted an investigation into the beating of 41-year-old Jarrett Hobbs from Greensboro, North Carolina, which originally happened on Sept. 3.
GBI Director Michael Register said as part of its investigation, GBI agents went to North Carolina to interview Hobbs about the incident.
The results of the investigation were turned over to Higgins’ office and the case was presented to the Camden County Grand Jury on Wednesday, May 17.
READ: Man beaten by Camden County deputies speaks out in interview
Higgins released the following statement Thursday on the indictments:
“Peace officers have great power over those who are in their custody and control. We trust our officers to responsibly exercise their power and properly treat the people who are being detained. When our trust is broken by the excessive use of force, the officers must be held accountable. No one is above the law. Those who enforce the law cannot be allowed to break it.”
READ: GBI to investigate after video shows inmate being beaten in Camden County Jail
Massey was employed with CCSO for 6 months, Garrick for 18 months, and Biegel was employed by CCSO for 3 years. Their employment with CCSO was terminated before their arrests.
The other two employees involved in the incident “face disciplinary actions resulting from findings of the Internal Investigation conducted by the Sheriff’s Office,” CCSO said in November.
READ: Camden County Sheriff’s Office investigating after video surfaces of inmate being beaten in jail
While speaking about the investigation in November, Register said he was “shocked” when he saw the video.
“As a citizen, my reaction was like anyone else ... you know it shocked the conscience. But I’ve also been in law enforcement long enough to understand that we have to stop, take a knee, and look at the facts, and put everything into context,” Register said.
According to Camden County Jail records, Hobbs had been arrested for speeding, driving with a suspended/revoked license and possession of a controlled substance on Sept. 3. The office of Harry Daniels, the Atlanta-based attorney representing Hobbs, said Hobbs was charged with assault after he was beaten by the officers.
READ: Assault, battery charges against man beaten in Camden County Jail dropped
Daniels’ office initially released two surveillance videos, which do not have sound, from inside the jail. The first video shows Hobbs in a small cell, picking up a small object and what appears to be a sandwich off a bench when several officers come rushing in. The first guard puts a hand on Hobbs’ neck. Other guards come in to help restrain him, and another guard comes in and starts punching Hobbs on the top of his head.
Another video from another angle shows a corrections officer unlock the door, then several guards enter the cell. After about 35 seconds, the guards can be seen pulling Hobbs into the hallway and at least two guards can be seen striking Hobbs’ body with their knees. Daniels’ office claims that one of Hobbs’ dreadlocks was ripped from his head during the incident.
On Monday, Nov. 21, Daniels sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting that it also investigate the beating and the officers involved for violating Hobbs’ civil rights and potentially committing a hate crime. Click HERE to view that letter.
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Hobbs is being represented by Daniels and Bakari Sellers. They released the following statement about the indictments:
“This indictment further demonstrates that the people will not tolerate this kind of abuse just because the abusers wear a badge.
“That being said, let’s be clear. The culture of violence and corruption at this detention center and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office do not begin or end with these officers or the beating that occurred on September 3, 2022.
“Sheriff Jim Proctor did his best to ignore this incident and his deputies’ crimes and sweep them under the rug. In fact, it wasn’t until we released this video of the beating that anything happened at all and then, it wasn’t Sheriff Proctor who took action. It was the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
“Combine that with multiple other incidents like the May 4, 2021 killing of 37-year-old Latoya James and the pattern of violence at the Camden County Sheriff’s Office becomes clear and we won’t rest until it’s stopped. Lives are at stake.”
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In February, Higgins’ office dropped all charges against Hobbs.
Higgins’ office said the battery and simple battery charges the officers face are misdemeanors with a possible punishment of up to 12 months in jail. Violation of oath by public officer is a felony with a possible punishment of 1 to 5 years in prison.
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