An off-duty sergeant with the Burke County Sheriff’s Office was arrested in Augusta following a bizarre confrontation with a Richmond County deputy, according to a BCSO press release.
We have reached out to Richmond County authorities for their side of the story, but here is a press release from BCSO Capt. J.W. “Jimmy” Wylds:
“This evening, March 25, 2023 shortly after 8:00 p.m. Sgt. Allen Crispin was attending an event in Augusta at the Augusta Commons when he witnessed an act of physical child abuse. Preliminary findings revealed Crispin, his wife and brother-in-law heard an infant crying, and they looked in the direction of the cry to investigate the matter when they saw an adult Hispanic male slap the infant child in the face.
The child, seated in a baby stroller continued to cry as the male started to leave the area with the child. An adult Hispanic female, who appeared to be with the male and infant walked hurriedly behind as the adults started to verbally argue. As a result, Crispin followed them as he walked towards a nearby Richmond County sheriff’s deputy (later Identified as Sgt. Ty Hester) who was working the special duty assignment at the event.
After reporting the event to the Deputy, Crispin and the deputy became involved in a verbal altercation, which resulted in Crispin’s arrest by the deputy. Crispin was subsequently committed to the Richmond County Detention Center on a county ordinance charge of disorderly conduct. He was later released from custody and sought medical attention for numbness in both hands and shoulders.
The case has been assigned to the Internal Affairs Division.
Any witnesses or other persons with information regarding the incident and/or the identity of the persons involved in the physical child abuse incident are asked to contact law enforcement authorities.”
Ironically, Crispin used to work for the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, where he received several commendations, including a 2016 incident in which he and another deputy saved the life of a woman found unresponsive in a bathtub. In a 2017 case, he was heralded for helping catch a burglary suspect. He was cleared in a fatal shooting in 2016.
The detention center declined to release Crispin’s mugshot Sunday morning since he had already been released.
