The family of Jermaine Jones Jr. has called for the release of body-cam video to explain how he ended up in a coma after his arrest by Richmond County deputies.
Jones’ fiancée and his father, Jermain Jones Sr., have both demanded answered in the case as the GBI conducts an independent investigation into Monday’s arrest. Meanwhile, Jones remained hospitalized in grave condition as of Thursday morning and was later declared “brain dead,” according to Letayia Anderson, Jones’ fiancée and mother of his 3-year-old daughter.
“I believe they beat him while he was handcuffed,” said Anderson. “We want justice. … We want to see bodycam footage from the time the car was pulled over to the time that they took him to the hospital.”
According to the GBI, Jones was tased after running from officers during a traffic stop at 7:12 p.m. Monday on Highland Avenue. Jones then struggled with multiple officers as they tried to detain him, according to Nelly Miles, Director of GBI’s Office of Public and Governmental Affairs.
“While on the way to the Richmond County Jail, Jones experienced symptoms requiring medical treatment,” Miles said by email Tuesday afternoon. “He was taken to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition.”
If he recovers, Jones will be charged with felony possession of a firearm by first offender and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Here is the full release from the GBI:
The GBI is investigating a use of force incident in Richmond County. On October 12, 2021, at around 10:30 a.m., the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office asked the GBI to investigate an incident that began as a traffic stop at Highland Avenue and Clifton Street in Richmond County. Officers stopped a vehicle with three men in it. One of the men, Jermaine M. Jones, Jr., age 24, of Augusta, GA, ran from police and was tased by one officer. After being tased, multiple officers detained him. There was a struggle between officers and Jones in the attempts to detain him. While on the way to the Richmond County Jail, Jones experienced symptoms requiring medical treatment. He was taken to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition.
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Jones was charged by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office with possession of a firearm by first offender (felony) and obstruction of a law enforcement officer (misdemeanor).
The GBI investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information can submit anonymous tips by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
Here is the full release from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office:
On October 11, 2021 at 7:12pm, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Deputies conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Highland Avenue at Clifton Street on a black SUV occupied by multiple subjects. During the course of the traffic stop, one of the subjects fled on foot and was tased by a Deputy and taken into custody. While enroute to the Charles B. Webster Detention Center, the subject experienced a medical emergency and Deputies transported the subject to the hospital for treatment.
The investigation into this matter was turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
No further information available at this time.
Greg Rickabaugh is the Jail Report Contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at greg.rickabaugh@theaugustapress.com
