Sheriff’s office releases body-cam video after viral arrest at Augusta business
By: -----
Augusta, GA - Sheriff Gino Brantley and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office released body-worn camera footage from an incident that led to a woman’s arrest at 3481 Wrightsboro Road.
The sheriff’s office issued the footage and a statement after a video posted to social media began circulating online.
The agency said short clips can show only part of an encounter, and it urged the public to watch the full video before drawing conclusions.
Deputies were called to the business June 19 after employees requested help with a customer, the sheriff’s office said.
Employees reported the woman approached an employee in a threatening manner.
The employee then retreated to an office in an employees-only area, and deputies said the woman followed her into that restricted space.
The sheriff’s office said surveillance video confirmed the woman entered the employees-only area.
The sheriff’s office said the full body-worn camera video shows key moments not captured in the social media clip, including the woman entering the restricted area to continue the confrontation, refusing to leave after being given what deputies described as a lawful order and deputies making multiple attempts to gain voluntary compliance before taking enforcement action.
Under Georgia law, the sheriff’s office said, an arrest may be authorized when someone refuses to obey a lawful command from a law enforcement officer in these circumstances.
However, the agency said officers have discretion, and the deputy “extended grace” by continuing to give her opportunities to comply rather than making an arrest immediately.
The sheriff’s office also addressed questions about why the deputy continued to request the women’s information.
The deputy was the primary deputy assigned to the call and responsible for investigating the complaint, completing the incident report and obtaining information needed to issue a criminal trespass warning, the agency said.
The assisting deputy was not the primary investigating officer, and body-worn camera video shows the assisting deputy encouraging the women to provide her information so the investigation could be completed, the sheriff’s office said.
The agency said it recognizes some viewers believe the woman was trying to explain her side of a dispute involving her vehicle being towed.
The sheriff’s office said the towing was a civil matter between the woman and the business and that deputies were not dispatched to investigate or document the towing itself.
The sheriff’s office said, according to the business, the vehicle remained on the property beyond the time permission had been given and was blocking the fueling area.
The sheriff’s office said businesses generally have the right to have vehicles removed from their property under applicable law, and deputies’ role was to address the reported disturbance and the business’s complaint.
The woman was arrested and charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said it reviewed all responding deputies’ body-worn camera footage as part of its investigation and that the footage, business surveillance video and witness statements provide a complete account of what happened.
“Showing empathy for someone’s frustration does not change the fact that lawful commands from law enforcement officers must still be followed,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that it supports the deputy’s actions and believes the video reflects repeated efforts to resolve the incident without an immediate arrest.