Three sheriff’s deputies in the Augusta area have been arrested and accused of assaulting a man suspected of injuring a deputy during a SWAT standoff last month, the GBI announced Thursday.
Richmond County deputies Quincy Cannon, 31, Andrew Acosta, 25, and Robert Wilson, 45, all face a charge of violation of oath of office. Cannon and Acosta also face a charge of battery and simple battery, respectively.
The charges stem from a Nov. 10 incident in which deputies were investigating a disturbance involving an armed man. The man, later identified as 34-year-old Vernon Cratic, began shooting and deputies returned fire, a GBI agent said at the time. Cratic refused to surrender until 4 a.m. and was uninjured, but one of the deputies was shot in the face.
During the GBI’s investigation, Cratic told agents he was physically assaulted by deputies while at the sheriff’s office, the state agency said in a statement.
The investigation revealed that Cratic was struck in the face and stomach while handcuffed in an elevator, according to the GBI. He also was slammed against an exterior wall of the sheriff’s office while handcuffed as he was escorted into the building.
Cannon, Acosta and Wilson were arrested and booked into the Richmond County jail.
An update on the injured deputy’s condition was not provided by the GBI. In a GoFundMe fundraiser created by his sister, the 25-year-old deputy appeared to have been released from the hospital Nov. 22.
The GBI continues investigating the incident. Once it is finished, the case will be handed over to the Augusta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, the agency said.
About the Author
