Georgia Officers Indicted For Using Excessive Force On A Female Inmate

Two Bibb County Deputies who were arrested in June 2023 for the alleged abuse of a female inmate, have now been formally indicted.

WSBTV2 reports that two Georgia deputies, Frederick Ogletree and Quency Barnes, who were arrested in June 2023 for the alleged abuse of a female inmate, have now been formally indicted. The charges stem from an incident reported by WGXA last summer, where the deputies, then working with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division, were accused of employing excessive force in attempting to restrain the inmate.

The incident came to light when the female inmate reportedly failed to comply with instructions, prompting the deputies to allegedly use excessive force. They are charged with violation of oath by a public official, aggravated assault, and battery.

According to reporting, Barnes has been employed with the sheriff’s office since Nov. 2017, and Ogletree has been with the sheriff’s office since Aug. 2005. Barnes and Ogletree both resigned from the department.

In December 2023, another Georgia officer faced trouble with the law stemming from charges of child pornography in Alabama, according to USA Today. Corey Joseph Brand was booked into the Russell County Jail with charges including possession with the intent to disseminate child pornography, according to a Facebook post by the Russell County Sheriff’s Department.

Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman expressed his strong condemnation of the alleged actions, stating, “This type of criminal behavior is absolutely unacceptable.” Sheriff Countryman further asserted their commitment to collaboration with federal and local partners in addressing the case, though the Facebook post did not provide additional details, such as the number of alleged child victims or their origins. Sheriff Countryman emphasized that the case remains under investigation, and more criminal charges are pending.

In the wake of these incidents involving Georgia law enforcement officers facing allegations of excessive force and corrupt behavior, concerns about accountability, transparency, and the need for systemic reforms within the state’s law enforcement agencies have come to the forefront.