Georgia Officials Launch Investigation After Viral Video Shows Inmate Being Beaten In His Cell [Video]

An investigation is underway after security video surfaced of guards in a Georgia jail brutally beating an inmate.

The graphic footage, released Monday, shows Black detainee Jarrett Hobbs being assaulted by several guards, four white and one black, inside his cell at the Camden County Detention Center. They pushed him against a wall and punched him multiple times in the head, with one grabbing Hobbs around the face and neck. He was then dragged out of his cell. The video has no sound, and it is unclear what led to the guards beating the man so violently. Ironically, Hobbs was charged with assaulting the guards as a result of the incident.

The 41-year-old was initially booked on traffic violations and drug possession charges on September 3rd.

A probation officer testified in October that Hobbs punched one deputy in the face and another in the side of the head. One deputy supposedly suffered a bruised eye and a broken hand from the altercation with Hobbs. However, the probation officer stated they were “unaware of the exact sequence of events.”

Civil rights attorney Harry Daniels called this “a brutal attack” and demanded justice for Hobbs, who did not appear to be the aggressor in the footage. Daniels maintained that Hobbs didn’t actually break the officer’s hand. Instead, he said the volatile deputy tried to punch Hobbs and missed, hitting the wall instead.

Following the release of the footage, Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor’s office announced that an internal review would begin “immediately.” While the officers involved in the attack have not been identified, the sheriff’s office confirmed that all were members of his command staff.  CNN reports that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation also announced an “independent and thorough” investigation into the matter.

Following his arrest, a federal judge in North Carolina revoked Hobbs’ probation on November 7th, as his presence in Georgia served as a violation.  Hobbs is now in custody in North Carolina for parole violations. In the meantime, Daniels is calling for charges against the officers.