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Georgia sheriff arrested in alleged assault of elderly man

The sheriff turned himself in at the jail on Wednesday.

BACON COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia sheriff turned himself into his own jail after being arrested by state agents on charges tied to alleged violence.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Bacon County Sheriff Mark Cothren was arrested on one count each of elder abuse, violation of oath of office and battery on Wednesday in connection with an incident a week earlier.

The GBI reported that they were requested by the Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney on May 22 to investigate allegations that the sheriff assaulted a man, 75-year-old John Daniel Melton, in front of the Bacon County Sheriff's Office. It's unclear from the GBI's statement what led to the altercation.

The GBI is continuing its investigation and will turn over its findings to the attorney general's office for prosecution once complete.

On the sheriff's office website, Cothren's bio says he began his career with the Bacon County Sheriff's Office in 1990 and that he was a member of each sheriff's administration since then in various roles.

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