BAXLEY, Ga. — A south Georgia officer is facing multiple charges in the alleged choking of a teen he arrested during a struggle a county jail.
On June 16, the Baxley Police Department called in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to help them in a "use of force" investigation involving one of their own officers - Lt. John Jones.
Jones had initially responded to a call regarding an assault at a local business. He arrived to find a 16-year-old boy who he ultimately took into custody and drove to the Appling County Jail.
However, the GBI reports that when Jones tried to get the teen out of the patrol car, the 16-year-old became noncompliant. Agents said the teen was handcuffed in the front and already under control when Jones allegedly struck him several times and then choked him to the point he fell unconscious.
Jones was arrested on Tuesday on charges of battery, cruelty to children in the first degree and aggravated assault. The investigation is still active and authorities are requesting anyone with additional information call police at 912-367-8305 or the GBI's Douglas Regional Office at 912-389-4103.
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