The Dec. 16 arrest of a suspected gang leader has led to the suspension of two sheriff’s deputies.
Richmond County Sheriff Eugene Brantley announced Tuesday afternoon that Deputy Nicholas Boyd has been suspended for 10 days for throwing two punches during the bloody arrest of De’Ante Cannon, alleged leader of the Youngins with Money gang.
Lt. Kyle Gould was also suspended for 6 days for disseminating a photo of Cannon’s bloodied face. Brantley said Gould, the lieutenant over the sheriff’s gang task force, shared the photo with other members of the gang unit, he said. The agency said they are unaware of how the photo made it to social media.
Although Boyd’s use of force was deemed legally justified in striking Cannon twice, Brantley emphasized it did not meet the department’s standards.
“While the force used was within the bounds of the law, it was not consistent with what I expect from our deputies,” the sheriff said.
The sheriff quoted a motto he repeats often: “Just because you can, does not mean you should.”
Going to the 2353 Henry Circle residence to make arrests and serve a search warrant, the deputies knew they were dealing with the suspected leader of a violent criminal street gang and suspected associate of the Sex Money Murder Bloods, Brantley said.
They suspected Cannon.of being a high-level drug trafficker operating in Augusta who is a convicted felon with a history of weapons violations, which also factored into their decision to use a level of force, Brantley said. Members of Youngins with Money have been involved in multiple shooting incidents this year, he said.
The arrests of the other two suspects occurred without issue, he said. One surrendered immediately and the second ran but surrendered after being taken to the ground, he said.
In body-worn video showed to the media, Cannon actively resists being handcuffed after deputies take him to the ground. He repeatedly yells “I can’t breathe” and says “please don’t tase me.” He was not tased.
During his 10-day suspension, Boyd will undergo additional training focused on arrest and control techniques, team tactics and decision-making under stress, Brantley said. He will be assigned to court services until he completes the training.
The decision to suspend the deputies is “about corrective behavior, reinforcing expectations and ensuring we continue to improve as an agency,” Brantley said. Both suspensions are unpaid.
Gould, who was reviewing the camera footage due to the use of force, took a photo of the video and shared it, a violation of the department’s policy and professional standards, Brantley said.
“The supervisor that reviewed the body worn camera did take a picture of it,” he said.
While Cannon’s wound appeared to come from the punches, the amount of blood seen on his face likely was increased by his face being pushed into the gravel driveway during his arrest, he said.
“Once they were pushing him down to the ground it aggravated the injury a little bit,” Brantley said.
The release of the graphic photo sparked public outrage, with many questioning the use of excessive force. During Tuesday’s press conference, the sheriff allowed reporters to view the bodycam footage from three deputies, but he did not allow them to capture the video or audio for public release.
The videos are not going to be immediately released to the public, but may be released after the conclusion of the ongoing gang investigation, Brantley said.
The incident led to multiple arrests and the seizure of 30 pounds of marijuana, methamphetamine, over $211,000 in cash and various gang-related items.
Greg Rickabaugh contributed to this report.
