Shields of Shame | Investigative case file | Appling County, Georgia

A traffic stop. A pursuit. A Taser. A hospital visit.

The July 10, 2023 encounter involving Jacob Matthew Brice and Appling County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant William J. Coleman raises questions about identification, pursuit decisions, force, and the medical aftermath.

How a traffic stop became a serious use-of-force encounter

The footage begins with a pursuit through rural roads and farmland, including areas near pecan trees. The circumstances that prompted deputies to identify and pursue Brice remain central to this investigation. One allegation is that he was mistaken for another person. That allegation has not yet been independently confirmed by the records presented here.

After the pursuit ends, footage raises questions about the manner in which Coleman used his Taser and handled Brice on the ground. The video appears to show contact near Brice’s head; whether the Taser was used to strike him, and under what circumstances, requires careful review of the complete recordings and device data.

What the official use-of-force report says

The Appling County Sheriff’s Office report, case 23-07-0552-S, identifies Coleman as the reporting sergeant and records the use of an electronic control device. It lists three five-second Taser cycles, describes contact involving the back, and records Brice’s complaints involving his head, chin, and ankle. The report indicates that he was transported for medical care and lists fleeing and attempting to elude and obstruction as arrest charges. These are reported charges, not proof of guilt or a verified court disposition.

There is a distinction between the report’s three five-second cycles and the precise duration of electrical exposure. Device logs, if available, would help establish exact activation timing and any additional contact or drive-stun applications.

The missing opening audio

The body-camera footage begins with an initial period without audio, consistent with pre-event buffering on some body-worn camera systems. The absence of sound in that segment limits what viewers can determine about commands and statements made at the beginning of the recording. It does not, by itself, establish that audio was intentionally disabled.

The hospital aftermath

In the final installment, Brice is shown in an emergency-room setting complaining of head pain and breathing difficulties. Those complaints warrant examination alongside the pursuit footage, Taser deployment information, and medical documentation. The available material does not establish a medical diagnosis or the cause of those symptoms.

Watch the four-part video investigation

These Facebook reels present the sequence in installments. If a Facebook embed is blocked by browser privacy settings, use the accompanying Watch on Facebook button.

Meet the officer: William J. Coleman

Georgia POST records dated October 13, 2026 list Coleman as an actively employed sergeant with the Appling County Sheriff’s Office and show basic law-enforcement certification in good standing, with no sanctions or investigations recorded in that POST profile. These entries are not a finding about the July 2023 incident and do not rule out other agency-level records. His training history includes de-escalation and Taser-related instruction.

View Coleman’s POST training record (PDF)

Read the source documents

The redacted open records packet includes the agency’s use-of-force report for this incident and other departmental records. The incident report is on pages 4 through 6 of the supplied 14-page packet. Readers should distinguish this case from the unrelated incidents elsewhere in that packet.

Open redacted agency records (PDF)Open POST officer profile (PDF)

Questions the investigation is pursuing

• What information prompted the initial stop, and was Brice correctly identified?
• What was the legal and factual basis for continuing the pursuit?
• What exactly happened when the Taser was deployed, including any contact with Brice’s head?
• Do device activation logs and camera timestamps align with the written use-of-force report?
• What did medical personnel document about his injuries and breathing complaints?
• What supervisory review, if any, followed the incident, and what was the final disposition of the listed charges?

The video series ends. The investigation continues.