Deputies fired, arrested for inmate beating
Nov. 23—Three Camden County Sheriff's Office deputies involved in the beating of an inmate on Sept. 3 have been fired.
Charged with battery of an inmate and violating their oath of office are Mason Garrick, Braxton Massey, and Ryan Biegel.
Massey has been employed six months, Garrick 18 months, and Biegel three years with the sheriff's office.
All three were booked into the Camden County Public Safety Complex Tuesday and were terminated prior to their arrest.
Two other deputies involved in the incident face undisclosed disciplinary action as a result of their roles.
Camden Sheriff Jim Proctor held an internal investigation, along with a separate probe into the incident by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
"I appreciate the Georgia Bureau of Investigation assisting our agency with this critical incident that occurred," Proctor said. "The arrest of these employees culminates the criminal investigation and ends their employment with the Camden County Sheriff's Office."
During a press conference Tuesday, GBI Director Mike Register said it appeared there was probable cause to arrest the deputies and that other arrests will be made if necessary.
The inmate who was beaten, Jarrett Hobbs, 41, of North Carolina, is shown in a jail surveillance video being pummeled by five deputies before being dragged from his cell.
Harry M. Daniels, an Atlanta-area civil rights lawyer, said one of Hobbs' dreadlocks was ripped out during the struggle. He said Hobbs was denied medical treatment and held in solitary confinement two weeks until his injuries healed.
After the arrests Tuesday, Daniels credited the GBI for moving quickly in its investigation.
"The GBI launched their investigation and arrested these violent thugs just days after learning what happened," Daniels said. "Compare that to Sheriff Proctor who sat on it for more than two months and did nothing and it's clear who takes justice seriously and who doesn't."
Hobbs' lawyers are asking the Department of Justice to investigate the incident and the officers involved for possibly violating Hobbs' civil rights and potentially creating a hate crime.
"This is just the first step toward justice," Daniels said. "Convictions and imprisonment are the final acts."
