Chief Deputy Austin Garrett is offering the following statement regarding District Attorney General Neal Pinkston’s findings from the TBI’s May 2020, Use of Force Investigation:

“Earlier today Sheriff Jim Hammond received General Neal Pinkston’s findings and appreciates him providing this information to the HCSO and public. The Sheriff, HCSO executive staff, and Training Division will be reviewing the findings together and once complete will proactively address any issues.

Shortly after this arrest occurred, Sheriff Hammond ordered an Administrative Review to be conducted to ensure our policies and procedures were followed. Before the findings were released, the HCSO Training Division and leadership had already identified areas of improvement in our Use of Force applications. This resulted in HCSO taking proactive measures that improved on our application of force or response when dealing with handcuffed suspects who display either active or passive resistance while in our custody. This enhanced training has already been included in our 2021 mandatory In-Service Training.

We encourage the public to comply when dealing with Law Enforcement officers, this alone reduces the likelihood of confrontations. However, we always welcome recommendations as it relates to our training. Every day HCSO deputies go out with the mission of protecting and serving our community, and we are focused on providing our deputies with the best training possible to protect our employees and better serve our community.”

No further details are available.