SHIELDS OF SHAME • GEORGIA AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY HUB

Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office: Investigations, Discipline and Public Records

From a sustained deputy driving complaint to a former lieutenant’s criminal case, officer-involved shooting investigations and open-records transparency.

Featured investigation: Bret LaMountain

A September 3, 2025 citizen complaint alleged that Deputy Bret LaMountain sped in a marked patrol car and improperly used an HOV lane. His written response said he was returning after transporting inmates to South Georgia and acknowledged using the HOV lane at times. The agency did not substantiate the complainant’s precise Atlanta speed allegation, but an internal review described video playing on a dashboard-mounted phone and separate AVL data showing 92 mph in a 70 mph zone later on I-75 in Ringgold.

The finding was sustained in part. The documented corrective action was counseling and two days without take-home patrol-car privileges; the file did not recommend adverse action. The agency finding is not a criminal conviction, and the Atlanta allegation should not be conflated with the later Ringgold AVL measurement.

Read the complete LaMountain investigation and evidence ↗

Why this record matters

A complaint prompted investigators to examine more than a citizen’s observations. The internal review compared the allegation with recorded video and vehicle-location evidence. That is the accountability chain worth preserving: complaint, employee response, evidence, finding and discipline. Readers can decide whether the agency’s response was proportionate.

Agency accountability timeline

2021: Fred “Bo” Trundle officer-involved shooting

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported investigating a deputy-involved shooting after authorities said Trundle pointed a shotgun toward a deputy. An independent investigation is not itself evidence that the deputy acted unlawfully. GBI report ↗

2023: Jennifer Yates officer-involved shooting

GBI preliminary reporting described deputies responding to an armed woman and firing during an encounter in which investigators said she advanced with a handgun. Yates survived. GBI report ↗

2024: Sensitive jail information exposure

Local reporting described a detention officer leaving a housing sheet containing inmates’ personal identifiers in a cell block. The agency reportedly investigated and reprimanded the employee. WDEF reporting ↗

2024: Dameion Coonrod fatal shooting

The GBI reported an officer-involved shooting involving Catoosa deputies and a Georgia State Patrol trooper. Coonrod died and a deputy was injured. The existence of the GBI inquiry does not establish wrongdoing. GBI report ↗

February 2025: Former Lt. Keith Cantrell charged

The GBI announced that former Catoosa lieutenant Keith Cantrell was arrested on theft-by-deception, attempted-theft-by-deception and violation-of-oath charges. Investigators alleged he invoiced a church for off-duty security work he did not perform. The GBI release states Cantrell was terminated February 13, 2024. Charges remain allegations unless resolved by a conviction or other final adjudication. Official GBI release ↗

September 2025: LaMountain complaint sustained in part

The case that anchors this hub: phone video on the dash, AVL speed evidence, and the recorded disciplinary decision. Full case ↗

December 2025: Rossville officer-involved shooting inquiry

The GBI investigated a shooting involving East Ridge, Tennessee officers following a stolen-vehicle pursuit into Catoosa County. The GBI reported no injuries. This incident took place in Catoosa County but should not be attributed to Catoosa sheriff’s deputies. GBI report ↗

The off-duty employment oversight question

Effective August 4, 2025, the sheriff’s office said it began using Off Duty Management’s OfficerTRAK system to administer requests for off-duty deputies. The system offers vendor visibility into attendance, shift details and invoices. Those controls are relevant to evaluating oversight after the Cantrell allegations, but there is no verified evidence that the Cantrell case directly caused the new system. Official off-duty employment information ↗

Shields of Shame’s own open-records history

On October 9, 2023, Shields of Shame submitted a request to Catoosa County. In the original correspondence preserved by this project, an agency representative stated that the sheriff’s form was not mandatory, indicated personnel material would be prepared with required redactions and estimated a possible fee under $25. The requester later reported not receiving the expected listing. This is the outlet’s documented account of a records exchange, not a judicial finding that the agency violated Georgia law.

How to investigate Catoosa County records

For deputy-driving complaints, request the initial citizen complaint, officer response, internal-affairs case file, disposition, body/dash-camera recordings, AVL/GPS exports, policies, supervisory notes and disciplinary letter. For an officer-involved shooting, seek incident and use-of-force reports, releasable GBI records, dispatch history and relevant video. For employee arrests, separately request administrative and criminal files, employment history, POST notices and final disposition records.

Under Georgia’s Open Records Act, agencies generally must respond within three business days, though production can take longer under statutory conditions. Ask for an itemized fee estimate and the specific exemption for any withheld records. Catoosa Sheriff’s Records Division ↗

Sources and editorial standards

Primary records: SOS’s preserved LaMountain complaint and disciplinary material. Related agency matters: linked GBI releases, agency pages and local reporting. Allegations, administrative findings, arrests, litigation and criminal convictions are distinct categories. Inclusion in this index does not mean an officer committed misconduct.

LaMountain primary investigation ↗ · Official Sheriff’s Office ↗ · Shields of Shame on YouTube ↗