Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond says deputies involved in the beating of a handcuffed Black man will not be placed on administrative leave.
The incident took place on May 23 after deputies were called to an Ooltewah neighborhood after a woman reported a Black man in a blue jumpsuit was acting suspicious, walking up to women and “asking them questions and asked her how to get out of the neighborhood,” court records state.
Dashboard camera footage released by the Hamilton County District Attorney General Neal Pinkston shows at least four deputies beating a handcuffed Reginald Arrington Jr.
The beating was just two days before George Floyd, another handcuffed Black man, died as a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him to the ground with his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes – spurring a worldwide protest movement.
Now, multiple Hamilton County deputies are under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the case has been referred to the Department of Justice for possible investigation and the general counsel for Gov. Bill Lee has been notified.
The sheriff’s office has identified the involved deputies as Sgt. Mickey Rountree, Cpl. Brian Killingsworth and deputies Nick Dewy, Todd Cook and Charlene Choate.
“By releasing this video, along with dismissing Arrington’s charges, General Pinkston essentially removed my deputies’ ability to offer direct testimony under oath pertaining to their actions and their training utilized in this incident,” Hammond said in a statement.
“I feel General Pinkston’s actions will improperly influence and sensationalize the events of this incident to the public without allowing the legal process to effectively take place. Effectively, what General Pinkston has chosen to do is indict my deputies in the court of public opinion prior to facts being presented in a court of law.
“Many of our citizens will view this video of Arrington’s resisting lawful arrest and may share concerns over how my deputies responded. Upon arrest, Arrington became combative at which time my deputies utilized compliance techniques, including the use of batons to eventually gain compliance.”
Hammond asked the community to “not rush to judgment based on the contents of the video, but allow for the investigation to take place at which time the actions of both my deputies and those of Arrington will be thoroughly reviewed.
Based on a preliminary review of the video, Hammond said he will not be placing any of the deputies involved on administrative leave, meaning they will remain on duty.
But, he said, he’s ordered an administrative review to determine whether policies were followed and whether Arrington’s treatment was justified.
“We are a nation of law and order and in order to remain so, it is imperative we allow and encourage the legal process to take place,” Hammond said. “This includes allowing for preliminary probable cause hearings to take place so all sides can be heard. As always, we welcome an outside review and will cooperate and offer any evidence necessary to seek a legal and appropriate resolution.
“As sheriff, it has always been my intention that this agency stand firm and remain transparent even in the harshest light of public scrutiny. However, I cannot sit back and remain idle while my deputies have their right to be heard infringed upon.”
Contact Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327 with tips or story ideas. Follow her on Twitter @Hughes Rosana.