3 jail guards in Georgia charged in beating of detainee

November 22nd, 2022

In this screenshot taken from Camden County Detention Center surveillance video provided by attorney Harry Daniels, jailers beat detainee Jarrett Hobbs at the facility, in Georgia, on Sept. 3, 2022. (Camden County Detention Center/Courtesy of Attorney Harry Daniels via AP)

Three jail guards in Georgia have been charged with battery in the beating of a detainee at a county jail that was recorded by security cameras, sheriff’s officials announced Tuesday.

Camden County Sheriff’s employees Mason Garrick, Braxton Massey, and Ryan Biegel were arrested and booked into jail, the county sheriff’s office said in a news release. They were also charged with violating their oath of office.

It was not immediately clear whether they had attorneys.

Security cameras recorded guards in September repeatedly punching Jarrett Hobbs, a 41-year-old Black man from North Carolina, in the head and neck. The three deputies who were charged are white, according to Capt. Larry Bruce, a spokesman for the Camden County sheriff.

Hobbs had been booked into the Camden County jail in coastal Georgia on Sept. 3 on traffic violation and drug possession charges.

Security video from that night shows Hobbs standing alone in his cell before five guards rush in and surround him. At least three deputies can be seen landing punches before Hobbs gets dragged from the cell and hurled against a wall.

An attorney for Hobbs released video of the beating last week. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the next day that it was launching an investigation.

“I appreciate the Georgia Bureau of Investigation assisting our agency with this critical incident that occurred,” Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor said in a statement. “The arrest of these employees culminates the criminal investigation and ends their employment with The Camden County Sheriff’s Office.”

Two other sheriff’s employees are facing disciplinary action in the Sept. 3 incident, according to the sheriff’s news release.