CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. — The Camden County Jail was the focus of new alleged incidents of inmate brutality during a news conference held this morning. Civil rights Attorney Harry Daniels invited the media to learn more about the treatment of inmates there.
Daniels hosted the conference with his client 23-year-old Zyaire Ratliff, video shows the 23-year-old black man being beaten by a Camden County Sheriff’s deputy while he was held at the detention center. Camden County NAACP President, Timothy Bessent, Sr. also attended.
Daniels began by saying, “This is not just bad apples, but a bad apple orchard.”
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He represents 41-year-old Jarrett Hobbs, who was beaten by 3 deputies while being restrained in a cell and was then thrown into the hallway where officers continued to assault him in September of last year. That incident led to their indictments.
Daniels also represents 23-year-old Zyaire Ratliff who detailed his altercation with former Camden County deputy, Jacoby Anderson saying, “When he opened up the door, that’s when he grabbed me, and pull me out of the door, but ended up pushing me in the door and started swinging on me, tossed me to the ground, sat on my chest, and began to strike me in my face multiple times.”
Anderson has also been criminally charged by the GBI with one count of simple battery and one count of violation of oath of office in connection with that incident.
Today, another client of Daniels, Brain Flancher told his story of an alleged assault in May of 2021 where he says he sustained bruises after being stomped on, “after they did that, that’s about all I remember; I think they knocked me out. Then they started stomping on me.”
Both Ratliff and Flancher said that inside the Camden County jail, officers act with impunity and that they have seen many other inmates assaulted, but most of them are never able to tell their stories.
Timothy Bessent hoped that consequences for previous offending officers would have deterred this type of treatment, “Evidently there are still some officers in there after the indictment of other officers that feel like they can be bullies inside that jail.”
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When Harry Daniels was asked if he had a message for the Camden County Sheriff, he said, “Do what you promised the people Camden County you were going to do. One-day suspensions for people that commit assault are appalling. You are complicit in the environment.”
Daniels and Bessent have asked the Justice Department to step in and investigate the Camden County Sheriff’s Office to prevent future altercations where inmates are assaulted, Action News Jax will have updates should those requests be met with action.
Action News Jax has reached out to the Camden County Sheriff’s Office for comment, and they say they do not comment on open cases.
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