Crime & Public Safety
Crime & Public Safety

South Georgia sheriff arrested on battery, elder abuse charges

Bacon County Sheriff Mark Cothren

Credit: Bacon County Sheriff's Office

Credit: Bacon County Sheriff's Office

Bacon County Sheriff Mark Cothren
By
June 3, 2019

The sheriff of Bacon County was arrested by the GBI on Wednesday for an incident that happened a week ago.

Sheriff Mark Cothren, 50, was charged with elder abuse, violation of oath of office and battery in connection with the May 22 incident, the GBI said in a news release.

Cothren allegedly assaulted a 75-year-old man in front of the sheriff’s office, the release said. The GBI was requested to investigate the incident by the Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney.

The sheriff turned himself into the Bacon County Jail without incident.

The sheriff’s office declined to comment to AJC.com. They referred all questions to the GBI.

Alma, which is the county’s seat, is about 110 miles southwest of Savannah and 210 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

In other news:

Police said a man pulled a gun over an argument about an aggressive dog.

About the Author

Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.

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