A woman who contends she was severely injured by Richmond County Sheriff’s officers in the summer of 2021 has filed suit against the city and Sheriff Richard Roundtree.
The Richmond County Superior Court lawsuit was filed Nov. 29 on behalf of Sonya Mayes and members of her household, one of whom was arrested the day Mayes contends she and others were unlawfully confronted by officers on July 31, 2021, when they arrived at their home then, the Red Roof Inn on Washington Road.
According to the lawsuit, Mayes suffered a broken left wrist, torn right rotator cuff, and injuries to her shoulder, hip, neck and black. In seeking damages, the suit included a list of medical expenses totaling $162,000.
MORE: District Attorney: Probation appropriate punishment for domestic violence at school
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages. It alleges a persistent and widespread practice of allowing and promoting excessive force is prevalent at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. It alleges that Roundtree had failed to ensure officers are property trained and supervised.
A lawsuit represents only one side of a legal dispute. The city will have the opportunity to respond to the allegations.
According to court documents, a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of an officer is pending trial against Mayes in Richmond County State Court. She is accused of obstructing Officer Leslie Gaiter from making an arrest July 31, 2021.
Gaiter was also one of the officers involved in the arrest of Jermaine Jones, 24, after an Oct. 12, 2021, traffic stop. Jones died of a head injury, according to earlier media reports.
One of the other plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Ja’quez Paschal was arrested on a pending robbery charge on Aug. 1, 2021, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in Richmond County Superior court to robbery by snatching and was sentenced Oct. 28, 2021, to three years in prison followed by five years on probation. Paschal had a prior Burke County conviction for armed robbery.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
