SHIELDS OF SHAME | RICHMOND COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE | INVESTIGATION UPDATE
Amanda Donald: From Promotion to Repeated Use-of-Force Discipline and Resignation
Augusta, Georgia — a records-based look at Donald’s career, the 2021 incident, and a separate February 2026 investigation reported by WRDW.
NEW REPORTING · MARCH 12, 2026
Second force investigation, demotion and resignation
WRDW’s investigative team reported that Donald struck a detained suspect repeatedly during a February 9, 2026 incident involving a patrol car. According to the report, Donald opened the vehicle’s rear door because the detainee was kicking a window; his foot struck her hand, and her flashlight hit her chin. Investigators found that even if the first force was justified, continued punches became unnecessary under policy. The suspect’s photograph showed facial redness and bruising, according to WRDW.
WRDW reported Donald was demoted from road patrol to the jail and later resigned. The article identifies the action as administrative discipline, not a criminal conviction. The footage for this second incident had not been released in that reporting because the underlying criminal case remained open. The precise final employment and POST status after that report requires fresh agency records.
From jailer to patrol deputy
The original Shields of Shame personnel-file review records Donald joining the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in May 2019 as a jailer at Charles B. Webster Detention Center. She wrote a request to attend mandate school and described her desire to make a difference in the community. She subsequently completed Georgia POST basic certification in August 2020 and moved into patrol work.
Her historical file includes training in firearms, active-shooter response, Taser, emergency vehicle operations, de-escalation and community policing. Supervisors praised her willingness to help colleagues and her work ethic. The same file documents counseling in December 2019 over repeated tardiness connected to childcare arrangements. That counseling is separate from the later force cases.
July 9, 2021: first documented use-of-force discipline
The original SOS article, drawing from Internal Affairs records, describes Donald responding to a call about a man allegedly damaging property and throwing objects into neighboring yards. The man reportedly resisted instructions to rise from the ground. The IA narrative states Donald used profanity and struck him in the face. Supervisors determined her conduct violated satisfactory-performance policy and issued a written reprimand and additional de-escalation training.
WRDW’s March 2026 report, based on newly obtained body-camera footage, described the 2021 man as handcuffed when Donald struck him and confirmed the reprimand and online training. This later footage-based account adds important detail not stated in the original SOS summary. The original 2021 IA file is linked below so readers can examine its wording themselves.
April 2024 promotion
Despite the earlier reprimand, the Sheriff’s Office publicly congratulated Donald on her promotion to corporal on April 18, 2024. The original personnel and arrest records also cover her work across DUI, domestic, obstruction, warrants and other routine patrol matters. An arrest history is not evidence of misconduct by itself.
OFFICIAL RCSO PROMOTION LIST ↗
Evidence library — original SOS files
These documents are hotlinked to the original SOS media library. The short descriptions identify their role in the original investigation; the linked documents remain the primary records for verifying individual details.
Georgia POST / officer record
Original officer-profile PDF
Arrest report
Original arrest report, useful for locating associated incidents and footage
Personnel file — redacted
Employment, evaluations, promotion and personnel chronology
Internal Affairs file
Administrative investigation and 2021 disciplinary documentation
Original photographs and video archive
The original page also linked several Shields of Shame YouTube videos, some concerning other Richmond County investigations. They are preserved as related video links rather than presented as footage proving Donald’s involvement in those separate cases.
Related Richmond County reporting
For agency-wide context, the original SOS page linked investigations concerning Megan Battle Inman, Richard Russell and the Jermaine Jones case. These are distinct investigations and are not evidence that Donald participated in their alleged conduct.
What remains to verify
Further requests should seek the full February 2026 IA findings, disciplinary and separation documents, body-camera footage when releasable, any updated Georgia POST employment or certification action, and any associated court disposition. A policy violation is not automatically a criminal offense, and neither the 2021 nor the 2026 administrative findings alone establishes a criminal conviction.
Sources: original Shields of Shame personnel, arrest and IA files; Richmond County Sheriff’s Office promotion listing (April 18, 2024); WRDW (March 12, 2026). Editorial update: October 9, 2026. All allegations and witness statements are attributed; administrative findings are distinguished from criminal adjudications.