CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. -- The Cherokee County sheriff apologized for posting a photo of a suspect on his personal Facebook page after the family claimed it was "unprofessional."
Jacob Cole Henson's family tells 11Alive that Sheriff Frank Reynolds personally called them Thursday morning and apologized for the picture.
Henson was taken into custody Monday after citizens held him at gunpoint until deputies arrived on the scene. He was wanted for several crimes in at least five counties.
Authorities responded to a crash Little Refuge Road in Waleska just after 3 a.m. They found a vehicle still running, but no one inside. That vehicle had been reported stolen Sunday night in Dawson County. Deputies shut down both ends of the road and set up a perimeter in the area for about 12 hours.
He was spotted on a dirt bike and authorities said he crashed and ran into the woods. That's where two citizens spotted him and held the suspect at gunpoint.
Photos were taken of Henson in custody. One of them posted on the sheriff's personal Facebook page showed Henson was on the ground and the sheriff was smiling with a thumps-up.
Earlier this week, a relative of the suspect told 11Alive that it was upsetting to see.
"We just thought it was very unprofessional, unethical," said Henson's family member said, who did not want to be identified. "Even though the circumstances were warranted, the picture with the sheriff he posted with Cole, holding him up like a prize dear on a hunting trip."
The sheriff did delete the post off of his page.
Family upset about Sheriff's Facebook post of suspect's arrest
Authorities charged Henson with burglary, obstruction, fleeing and attempting to elude, reckless driving, reckless conduct, no license plate, theft by taking (felony), theft by taking (misdemeanor) and two counts of felony criminal damage.
Henson was taken to the hospital for his injuries sustained from the dirt bike accident.
