CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. — An attorney for Jarrett Hobbs is requesting DOJ to investigate after he was seen on camera getting pummeled by correctional officers at the Camden County Public Safety Complex located in Woodbine, Georgia.
"At the time Mr. Hobbs was brutally attacked, he was unarmed and posed no threat to the Detention Officers or others," wrote attorney Harry M. Daniels in a letter sent to Kristen M. Clarke, Assistant Attorney General on Monday.
He continued, "...we respectfully request that the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, to investigate the brutal beating of Mr. Hobbs by four white Detention Officers and to bring charges against all involved."
You can read the full letter below.
In the video, Hobbs can be seen pacing around his cell, sitting down and occasionally standing at the door. Attorneys said Hobbs was having a psychological episode and banged on the door.
In a separate video provided by the attorneys, you can hear a loud bang as one officer was walking away while another inmate was in the area. After the loud noise, an officer turns around to Hobbs' cell and more officers follow behind. That lead to the moment showing prison officers trying to restrain Hobbs, but they start punching him.
Eventually, they move outside his cell while the beating continues. Hobbs can be heard screaming in pain in the video with audio attached. One correctional officer can heard telling him to "stop resisting." Later on, they were able to put Hobbs in a restraining chair.
Video shows he was pushed repeatedly into his bed and then the door closes behind him. Afterwards, the 41-year-old is seen tugging at his restraints.
The event happened 10 weeks before Sheriff Jim Proctor called for an internal investigation.
Hobbs was initially arrested for speeding, driving with a suspended or revoked license and possessing a controlled substance.
Attorneys said he suffered a chipped tooth, swelling and one of his locs was ripped from his head. After the beating, they said he was put in confinement for two more weeks.
Full letter from Law Offices of Harry M. Daniels:
Dear Assistant Attorney General Clarke:
On September 3, 2022, Jarrett Hobbs, a 41-year-old Black man, was brutally beaten by four white Detention Officers of the Camden County Sheriff’s Office while in custody at the Camden County Public Safety Complex located in Woodbine, Georgia. At the time Mr. Hobbs was brutally attacked, he was unarmed and posed no threat to the Detention Officers or others. Notably, the assault on Mr. Hobbs was captured on the jail’s surveillance cameras, in its entirety. (See full unedited videos of officers with the Camden County Sheriff’s Office beating Mr. Hobbs at the Camden County Detention Facility). The videos, which are more than an hour in total length, shows the events leading up to and following the beating of Mr. Hobbs. More specifically, the videos show the Detention Officers strapping Mr. Hobbs into a restraint chair after beating him and slamming him back into the cell; as well as, the footage shows the Detention Officers leaving Mr. Hobbs restrained without ever rendering medical aid or having medical assistance be given. It is unequivocal and undisputed that Mr. Hobbs’ 14th Amendment right was brutally violated by four white jailers under the color law. As a pretrial detainee, Mr. Hobbs maintained the protection afforded to him by the Constitution of the United States under the 4th Amendment via the 14th Amendment. As recent as August of this year, we called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the shooting of Latoya James, a 37-year-old black woman shot and Law Offices of Harry M. Daniels, LLC. 4751 Best Road Suite 490 Atlanta, GA 30337 killed by Camden County Sheriff Deputies in May 2021. Body camera video of the incident has been released and can be viewed HERE. Civil rights leader and Repairers of the Breach president Rev. William Barber echoed the attorneys’ outrage saying the fight for justice in the Latoya James case was a moral imperative as well as a legal one. We respectfully request that the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, to investigate the brutal beating of Mr. Hobbs by four white Detention Officers and to bring charges against all involved under 8 U.S. Code 242. Further, we respectfully request that the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division investigate as to whether the beating of Mr. Hobbs, a Black man, was racially motivated as a hate crime pursuant to 18 U.S. Code § 249. We stand ready to work with the DOJ to ensure full transparency in this matter. If you have any questions, please contact Harry M. Daniels. (daniels@harrymdaniels.com or 678-664-8529)