The chief deputy of the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office has resigned following his arrest over the weekend for boating under the influence in a neighboring county, Sheriff Tia McWilliams confirmed.
Christopher Treadwell, 40, was arrested Saturday in McDuffie County by officers with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He was charged with operating a watercraft under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as well as operating a boat without lights at night.
Treadwell was booked into the McDuffie County Detention Center and photographed. He resigned from his position the following day, stepping down as the second-in-command at the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff McWilliams described the arrest as “very surprising” and noted that Treadwell’s decision to resign was made with integrity in mind.
“He said, ‘How can I be arresting people if I, myself, have been to jail?’” McWilliams said Thursday.
Treadwell had previously been named Deputy of the Year at least twice and had risen through the department’s ranks before becoming chief deputy. Sheriff McWilliams praised his work, calling him a “great officer,” but acknowledged the situation was both “surprising and disappointing.”
She added that while the arrest came as a shock, the resignation was not unexpected, given the agency’s strong values around honor and integrity.
As of Thursday, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources had not responded to a request for the incident report or further details regarding the arrest.
