CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A new indictment was brought against Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill this week, adding two new charges to his criminal case alleging he violated the civil rights of inmates by using a restraint chair in detaining them.
Hill was first indicted in the case last year, later suspended by Gov. Brian Kemp and also faces a lawsuit related to alleged inmate abuse.
The new indictment involves two new alleged victims, bringing the total number of alleged victims in the case to seven on seven total counts of violating their civil rights.
The first indictment listed four victims and a first superseding indictment brought that total to five.
The indictment lists several of the allegations against Hill, though it does not delineate between the new and old ones.
In one instance, a man who was arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at two men outside his home in Jonesboro was booked into the Clayton County Jail and, when he denied the allegations against him, Hill told staffers to "put his a** in the chair" where he was left strapped for hours under the orders of Hill.
Another man was arrested at his home in Hampton for allegedly possessing drugs and illegal firearms, and was "compliant and never posed a threat to anyone" upon being taken into custody. When he told Hill he did not want to speak to him, the sheriff allegedly ordered him into a restraint chair and, similarly, he was left strapped there for hours.
Another alleged victim responded "it's a democracy" when the sheriff asked him why he was in Clayton County, according to the document. He also asked twice if he was entitled to a fair and speedy trial, to which Hill allegedly replied: "You entitled to sit in this chair, and you’re entitled to get the hell out of my county and don’t come back. That’s what you’re entitled to. You sound like a damn jacka**."
In another instance, a 17-year-old was allegedly left in the restraint chair and in one alleged incident Hill told two detainees already strapped into restraint chairs that he would "sit your a** in that chair for sixteen hours straight" if they repeated criminal behavior.
With the latest addition to his charges, Hill also has a new arraignment set for March 31 at 10 a.m. in federal court in Atlanta.
Hill's attorneys, in the meantime, have been working in court to have the suspension overturned and get the sheriff reinstated. His most recent appeal came in February, after an earlier appeal in December was denied.
Hill has pleaded not guilty in the federal criminal case.