Richmond County Sheriff's Office personnel files reveal background of sheriff candidates

A year away from the election for Richmond County Sheriff, three candidates have announced their campaigns, challenging incumbent Sheriff Richard Roundtree.

Eugene A. "Gino Rock" Brantley filed to run for sheriff in September, according to previous reporting. Clarence Lucious "Bo" Johnson IV and Richard Wayne Dixon followed, filing their paperwork in the first week of October.

Here's what we know about the record's each candidate, according to Richmond County Sheriff's Office and Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council records.

Eugene "Gino Rock" A. Brantley

Brantley started his career with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in October 1994.

During his time with the sheriff's office he worked as a jailer, deputy and was promoted to a corporal in January 2016. He resigned from the sheriff's office in December 2016 to take a job with the Richmond County Marshals Office, where he currently serves as sergeant.

A review of his personnel file with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office showed a number of letters of praise from Roundtree.

One letter, dated April 28, 2015, praises Brantley for saving the life of a 1-year-old who stopped breathing. Others commended Brantley for his assistance with various community service events.

However, disciplinary records show Brantley did receive a number of violations while working for the sheriff's office, including:

• Suspended for two days in February 2003 for failing to appear in magistrate court for a disorderly conduct case. The case was dismissed.

• Suspended for one day in June 2003 after bringing his service weapon inside of the Richmond County jail.

• Found at-fault for a crash in July 2004 and ordered to pay for a damage assessment.

• Suspended for two days in March 2005 after an encounter with a marshal. Brantley was accused of parking in a reserved spot in front of the municipal building and was asked three times to move his vehicle before doing so. He then called the marshal a "parking attendant."

• Found at-fault for a crash in March 2005 and ordered to pay for a damage assessment.

• Suspended for two days in March 2006 after arresting a man for disorderly conduct. The man said there was a bag of marijuana in the back of Brantley's patrol car, which he destroyed in front of multiple witnesses.

• Suspended for two days with 12 months of probation in July 2008 for failing to control traffic during a Fourth of July event.

• Suspended for two days with 12 months of probation in July 2009 for failing to appear in magistrate court for a criminal case against two men. The charges were dismissed.

Clarence Lucious "Bo" Johnson IV

Johnson started his career with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in April 1989.

He worked as a peace officer for a year before resigning to work at the Richmond County Marshals Office. After a year with the marshals office, he resigned again, moving to the Blythe Police Department. After another year in Blythe, he returned to the sheriff's office where he worked for another three years.

He resigned from the sheriff's office in 1999, stating in a letter that he needed to further his education to financially support his family. Johnson then served as a senior federal air marshal with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2002 to 2022, according to his campaign website.

Johnson's personnel file with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office includes a number of newspaper clippings recognizing Johnson, 29 at the time, for pulling a woman from the Savannah River after a boating accident on July 21, 1997.

Two men died in the crash, but Johnson and another deputy were able to save a 35-year-old Graniteville, South Carolina woman.

Johnson was presented with a number of awards following the rescue and received nearly a dozen letters of commendation and appreciation from within the department and the community during his career with the sheriff's office.

Performance records showed positive reviews, with no disciplinary action. He was counseled twice for minor infractions, including:

• Received counseling in August 1998 for failing to answer his radio, setting it on the wrong channel.

• Received counseling for failing to call in sick after a surgery in April 1999.

Richard Wayne Dixon

Dixon started his career with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in November 1991.

He worked at the agency from 1991 to 2003, before transferring to work as a training specialist at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. Dixon then went on to work for the Georgia P.O.S.T police from November 2022 to February 2023.

He is currently employed at the Hephzibah Police Department.

Dixon's personnel file includes positive performance reviews and a number of letters of commendation both from employees with the department and citizens.

A newspaper clipping included in his file stated Dixon would carry four to five coats in his patrol vehicle at all times, so he could give them out to the homeless during the winter.

A use of force report details an incident on July 8, 2001 involving a male suspect who attempted to take Dixon's gun. The suspect was shot in the face and transported to the hospital. Two other deputies were involved.

Dixon does not have a record of any disciplinary action, but two minor infractions included:

• Found at fault for a crash in August 1994.

• Required to pay for an alco-sensor that was misplaced in January 1997.

Sheriff Richard Roundtree

Georgia P.O.S.T. records indicate Roundtree was employed by the Augusta Police Department from March 1993 to January 1996.

He was promoted to investigator with the sheriff's office in 1996 and stayed in that position until he voluntarily resigned in August 2009. Roundtree took a lieutenant position with the Richmond County Board of Education Police Department where he remained until Jan. 1, 2013. He was elected Richmond County sheriff in 2012.

Roundtree has yet to announce whether he plans to seek re-election.

No sanctions or investigations are listed in Roundtree's P.O.S.T. file. However, it is unclear if he faced any disciplinary action from within the department.

Requests were made in the beginning of October for Roundtree's Richmond County Sheriff's Office personnel file. Those requests were initially denied. Additional requests for his file while serving as a deputy with the sheriff's office have gone unanswered as of Wednesday afternoon.

The primary will be held on May 21 and the general election on Nov. 5, 2024. Voters must register by April 22 in order to vote in the primary and Oct. 7 to vote in the general.

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This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Personnel files reveal careers of Augusta sheriff candidates