Civil rights attorneys continue to demand a probe into a southeast Georgia county jail after two of its employees were indicted for beating a Black man in a cell.
Sheriff’s Deputy Corporal Brian Beagle, Officer Corporal Mason Garrick and Officer Braxton Massey were indicted on May 17.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Beagle, Garrick and Massey on Nov. 22, 2022, for beating 41-year-old Hobbs in his jail cell on Sept. 3, 2022. Video captured the men beating Hobbs after he banged on the jail cell door. While trying to restrain Hobbs, the men began to pummel him.
One of the officers was seen grabbing Hobbs’ face, and Hobbs didn’t seem to be resisting when the officers began punching him despite one of the officers yelling, “Stop resisting.” Additional footage taken outside of the cell also shows the men slam Hobbs against a wall before they began to kick him repeatedly and Hobbs screamed in pain.
Related: ‘First Step Toward Justice’: Three Guards Arrested After Viral Video of Georgia Jail Beating Videos Released
Since then several other people who have been held at the jail have spoken out about abuse.
“Once you come through that door, it’s their rules, and this is what it is,” said Zyaire Ratliff, who has photos showing injuries he sustained at the jail during a May 31 press conference. “If you don’t do what they want, this is the type of thing that will happen.”
Hobbs — who was arrested for speeding, driving with a suspended license and possessing a controlled substance — suffered from swelling after one of his locs was ripped out of his head. He also received a chipped tooth during the beating and according to his attorneys Harry Daniels and Bakari Sellers, Hobbs was kept in solitary confinement for two weeks following the beating.
The officers filed several charges against Hobbs following the beating, including assault, battery and obstruction of justice. The Glynn County District…
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