Woodbine, Ga. — Attorneys for a Georgia jail inmate who was repeatedly punched in the head and neck by guards, as captured by security cameras, demanded on Wednesday that the deputies be fired and arrested, insisting that the videos prove the violence was unjustified.
Harry Daniels, the detainee’s attorney, told reporters, “There is no way in hell that anyone should be beaten the way this man was treated.” “I care not what he did. I could care less if he destroyed the door. You do not beat a person in such a manner.”
On September 3, a 41-year-old Black man from North Carolina named Jarrett Hobbs was booked into the Camden County jail in coastal Georgia on allegations of traffic violation and narcotics possession. The following night’s surveillance footage shows Hobbs standing alone in his cell before five guards surround him. Hobbs is punched by at least three deputies before being pulled from his cell and thrown against a wall.
Wednesday, two of Hobbs’ sisters joined his attorneys for a news conference on a courthouse square overlooking the jail where the violent altercation occurred. His siblings have expressed a desire for justice on behalf of their brother, whose story they initially found hard to believe.
Taylor Wood, one of Hobbs’ sisters, remarked, “He literally informed me that he hadn’t done anything wrong; they simply beat him.” “I’m like: ‘Are you sure? It is somewhat difficult to believe. And when you see the video, you realize he did nothing.”
Sheriff Jim Proctor of Camden County, who oversees the jail, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation have both announced separate investigations.
Since the incident involving Hobbs occurred more than two months ago, Hobbs’ attorneys question why the sheriff did not conduct an investigation sooner. Hobbs was immediately accused with assaulting the guards.
Wednesday, the sheriff’s spokesman, Capt. Larry Bruce, refused to answer questions about the timing of the internal investigation and whether the deputies in the video remained on duty. The sheriff’s office has not disclosed the identities or races of the involved deputies.
“The two independent investigations prevent the Sheriff’s Office from commenting at this time,” Bruce wrote in an email.
Hobbs, of Greensboro, North Carolina, was on probation for a 2014 federal conviction when the jail videos surfaced. His arrest in Georgia prompted a probe into whether he violated the terms of his supervised release. The jail footage was included in the case’s evidence.
Monday, attorneys for Hobbs released the video to the public.
According to federal court records, guards entered Hobbs’ cell on September 3 because he was refusing to stop kicking the door and kicking it repeatedly. The video depicts a guard rushing into the cell and grabbing Hobbs by the neck in an attempt to corner him. Four others enter after him.
As prison guards attempt to hold Hobbs by his wrists, one of them begins to punch him in the back of the head and neck. The footage depicts at least two additional guards throwing punches. A second video captured by a camera outside the cell shows inmates dragging Hobbs through the open door and throwing him against the wall. Hobbs, who is out of view, appears to be pinned to the ground as the struggle continues. The entire conflict lasts approximately one minute.
Hobbs is either obscured by the guards surrounding him or out of frame for the majority of the video. Uncertain is the extent to which he fought the jailers. Daniels stated that Hobbs would have been justified in fighting back against the guards’ unlawful attack.
A probation officer testified in a hearing on Oct. 20 that Hobbs had violated his probation “One deputy was punched in the face while another deputy was punched in the side of the head. The incident resulted in a bruised eye and a broken hand for one deputy.” In addition, the report stated that Hobbs was struck in the head and that the probation officer was “unaware of the exact sequence of events.”
On November 7, Hobbs’ probation was revoked. However, the court dismissed the alleged probation violations due to the defendant’s struggle with Georgia jailers. The court record is silent on the matter.
Hobbs was released on September 30 from the Camden County jail, but he remains in custody in North Carolina.