Georgia sheriff Kenneth Henderson is under scrutiny after a heated clash with a local police officer.
Atlanta News First reports that Towns County Sheriff Kenneth Henderson is under investigation after a heated physical confrontation with a Hiawassee police officer in December 2024. Following the clash, the local district attorney has requested a special prosecutor to handle the investigation.
Details of the December 2024 incident:
Context: According to Atlanta News First, Hiawassee Police Officer José Carvajal responded to a scene outside his jurisdiction to assist a Towns County deputy, Austin Bradburn, who had been shot.
Confrontation: Atlanta News First reports that, according to body camera footage, Sheriff Henderson allegedly grew agitated after Carvajal instructed others on how to apply a tourniquet and refused to touch a firearm until the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrived.
Escalation: Atlanta News First reports that the situation intensified when Henderson allegedly followed Carvajal, put his hands on him, and spun him around. Other deputies on the scene expressed dismay at their sheriff’s actions and held him back.
Investigation: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the incident, and the district attorney has recused himself to avoid a conflict of interest, requesting an independent special prosecutor.
History of conflict
Alive11 reports that this was not the first instance of tension between Sheriff Henderson and the Hiawassee Police Department.
2022 Traffic Stop: In a separate incident from 2022, Henderson was allegedly recorded yelling at a Hiawassee police sergeant during a traffic stop, with Henderson telling the officer to “shut your f**g mouth” and calling him a “f boy”.
Berating Employees: That same year, a deputy allegedly secretly recorded Henderson berating his staff for eating lunch with Hiawassee officers, allegedly calling the Hiawassee police “my xxxx enemies”.
The current investigation is ongoing, and a special prosecutor has not yet been appointed.