BROOKS COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE
On Tuesday, September 20, 2016, at approximately 1:35 p.m., GBI SA JASON SEACRIST was located at the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office CID Annex, 1004 Holloway Drive, Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia, for the purpose of interviewing Brooks County Sheriff’s Office CAPTAIN JERRY MILLER in regards to the present investigation.
SA SEACRIST advised CAPTAIN MILLER that the GBI was conducting a criminal investigation and that CAPTAIN MILLER’S participation was voluntary. CAPTAIN MILLER verified that he had not been ordered to provide a statement to SA SEACRIST nor was he advised that giving a statement was a condition of his employment. CAPTAIN MILLER was willing to give a voluntary statement. CAPTAIN MILLER essentially stated the following:
CAPTAIN MILLER had been with the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office since 1991. Currently, CAPTAIN MILLER was the supervisor of narcotics investigations. CAPTAIN MILLER supervised SGT. TONY BRANHAM and SGT. TERRY GRIFFIN, both with the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office. Quitman Police Department OFFICER WILBUR COPE was attached to the narcotics investigation unit and reported to CAPTAIN MILLER.
SGT. GRIFFIN’S daughter, RINA GRIFFIN, had previously worked at the Brooks County Jail. Approximately two or three months ago, SGT. GRIFFIN had come to CAPTAIN MILLER regarding an incident that had occurred in the jail. RINA had told SGT. GRIFFIN that a female inmate was put in the restraint chair, placed in the shower and the water was turned on. RINA was very concerned. CAPTAIN MILLER did not recall who the inmate was that was placed in the shower. CAPTAIN MILLER believed that Brooks County Jail CAPTAIN SCOTT BOUTWELL was present and had ordered the shower treatment.
CAPTAIN MILLER believed that RINA was afraid of repercussions from CAPTAIN BOUTWELL, so RINA did not want to make a report regarding the incident. Instead, RINA told SGT. GRIFFIN, who then told CAPTAIN MILLER so that the incident would be on the record with SGT. GRIFFIN’S supervisor.
CAPTAIN MILLER never discussed the information provided by SGT. GRIFFIN with anyone at the Sheriff’s Office. CAPTAIN MILLER told SGT. GRIFFIN that he needed to tell Brooks County SHERIFF MIKE DEWEY about the incident. SGT. GRIFFIN told CAPTAIN MILLER “maybe he would”. CAPTAIN MILLER felt that SGT. GRIFFIN was afraid of possible repercussions towards RINA. CAPTAIN MILLER believed the conversation with SGT. GRIFFIN occurred over the phone.
SGT. GRIFFIN had also told CAPTAIN MILLER that RINA had been previously injured in her shoulder and/or back from an altercation with an inmate. A doctor told RINA that the injury was significant and that she did not need to be dealing with inmates where there might be a chance that she could become further injured. SGT. GRIFFIN told CAPTAIN MILLER that RINA had told CAPTAIN BOUTWELL about the doctor’s orders upon her return to work. CAPTAIN BOUTWELL told RINA that she needed to work. CAPTAIN MILLER believed that RINA may have tried to defend herself to CAPTAIN BOUTWELL, but it was not successful. SGT. GRIFFIN was not happy with the situation and wanted to talk to CAPTAIN BOUTWELL. CAPTAIN
MILLER advised SGT. GRIFFIN to instead talk to SHERIFF DEWEY. CAPTAIN MILLER noted that there was an ongoing issue regarding RINA’S injuries. SGT. GRIFFIN was advised to talk to the sheriff about the incidents. CAPTAIN MILLER knew that placing inmates under the shower water while secured to the restraint chair was not right. CAPTAIN MILLER was surprised to hear that CAPTAIN BOUTWELL ordered and approved of this treatment, even though CAPTAIN BOUTWELL was a little bit high strung. When SA SEACRIST asked why CAPTAIN MILLER had not reported the information through his chain of command, CAPTAIN MILLER stated that SGT. GRIFFIN had asked CAPTAIN MILLER to promise not to tell anyone because SGT. GRIFFIN was very concerned for RINA because she worked for CAPTAIN BOUTWELL.
SGT. GRIFFIN had also told CAPTAIN MILLER that RINA had written a report regarding the incident, which included specific information on the shower treatment. SGT. MILLER told CAPTAIN MILLER that after CAPTAIN BOUTWELL reviewed the report, he told RINA to change the report in regards to how the shower treatment was documented. SGT. GRIFFIN did not provide CAPTAIN MILLER with specifics on what CAPTAIN BOUTWELL wanted changed in the report.
Timeline
September 8, 2016: Incident of alleged excessive force by Captain Scott Boutwell occurs at Brooks County Jail. Boutwell reportedly knees inmate Stephen Styles, who is handcuffed and held down by other officers.
September 14, 2016: Sheriff Mike Dewey requests the GBI to investigate the incident. GBI Special Agent Jason Seacrist is assigned to the case. Initial interviews and evidence review begin, including surveillance footage of the incident.
April 6, 2017: District Attorney Brad Shealy advises that due to conflicts within the DA’s office, the case will be handled by Alapaha Circuit DA Dick Perryman. The case is expected to be presented to the Grand Jury in October 2017.
October 3, 2017: ADA Patrick Warren, assigned to the case, states that the Grand Jury presentation is postponed due to a plea agreement with the defendants’ attorneys.
January 5, 2018: ADA Patrick Warren informs that victim Walter Eller had died in state prison, possibly from being stabbed. Negotiations for plea agreements with defendants continue.
April 10, 2018: Scott Boutwell pleads guilty to three counts of misdemeanor battery and is sentenced to probation. He surrenders his Georgia P.O.S.T. certification. Negotiations with other defendants are ongoing.
July 23, 2018: ADA Patrick Warren reports that all remaining defendants, except one, have agreed to plea deals.
October 15, 2018: ADA Warren dismisses the warrant against Rina Griffin, who agrees to cooperate in judicial proceedings. Scheduling for remaining defendants to accept their pleas is underway.
Pages related to this case
Rogue Nation
Brooks County Sheriff, Mike Dewey, GBI investigation, excessive force, Captain Scott Boutwell, Brooks County Jail, Jason Seacrist, surveillance footage, inmate Stephen Styles, restraint chair, jail officers, use of force, shower incident, water turned on, inmate treatment, Brooks County, investigation, suspension, law enforcement, misconduct
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