‘Still need a conviction and prison sentence’; Attorney speaks out for man beaten in Camden Co. jail

CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. — Three Camden County Sheriff’s Office employees are behind bars for the beating of Jarrett Hobbs.

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Deputies Ryan Biegel, Braxton Massey and corrections officer Mason Garrick face felony charges of battery and violation of oath of public office.

The attorney for Hobbs, Harry Daniels, said their team knew something was coming before Thanksgiving.

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“This is the first wheel of justice – a charge and an arrest. We still need a conviction and prison sentence, let’s be very clear on this,” Daniels said.

It comes after security video leaked and shows 41-year-old Jarrett Hobbs getting beaten by five employees, the other two who were not arrested facing disciplinary action.

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Daniels has been critical of Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor for his handling of the case, saying he doesn’t take justice seriously.

“Once the Sheriff learned Mr. Hobbs was beaten inside his jail, he should have notified a district attorney,” Daniels said. “You don’t take almost 2 to 3 months after a man was beaten and once a video gets out and leaked.”

Action News Jax asked the Camden County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson for a statement from the Sheriff directly addressing those comments but haven’t heard back.

A statement from Jarrett Hobbs was also released:

“The arrest of the three Camden County jailers is a great start towards justice. I will be able to say more once the case goes to trial and justice has been served. I am still processing everything day by day; but I want to thank the GBI for reviewing the video and seeing it for exactly what it was – an unjust beating. I also want to thank my lawyer, Harry Daniels, for handling my case because without him none of this would have been possible.”

—  Jarrett Hobbs

Hobbs was arrested on several non-violent charges and also had a hold from federal authorities. His attorneys said he was having a mental health crisis when this happened.

“Nothing Mr. Hobbs did to warrant to be beaten the way he did,” Daniels said.

“I wish no ill will on any of those officers, but they do have to be held accountable for their actions,” Daniels said.

A statement from Sheriff Proctor regarding the arrests reads the following: “I appreciate the Georgia Bureau of Investigation assisting our agency with this critical incident that occurred. The arrest of these employees culminates the criminal investigation and ends their employment with The Camden County Sheriff’s Office.”

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said if more arrests are necessary, they will be made.

Hobbs’ attorney also filed a formal request for the DOJ to investigate the beating and the employees involved for what they call a violation of his civil rights and a potential hate crime.

“I don’t know how long it will take but they’re very thorough and they have the resources to determine whether this was a hate-motivated crime. Mr. Hobbs is an African-American Black man and the people who beat him were white,” Daniels said.

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Daniels also told Action News Jax there are more incidents they are looking into, saying they will come out soon.