EATONTON, Ga. — The Eatonton Police Chief is facing charges after he was accused of using excessive force on a handcuffed woman.
According to a news release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Stephen Bradley requested the GBI's Milledgeville office conduct an investigation on Wednesday.
The request was about allegations that Eatonton Police Chief Kent Lawrence used excessive force against a woman in custody at the Eatonton Police Department.
Preliminary investigations showed that Eatonton Police arrested a 58-year-old woman on Tuesday around 5:15 p.m. for driving under the influence.
That's when she was taken to the Eatonton Police Department for processing.
The release says Eatonton Police Chief Kent Lawrence used excessive force against the woman, who was handcuffed at the time.
The GBI arrested Lawrence on Friday morning. He is charged with two counts of simple Battery and one count of battery.
Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills says Lawrence was released on his own recognizance to appear in state court in February.
We spoke to Eatonton Mayor John Reid who said he was unaware of the charges until we called.
He said he'd have to get more information before he could make a decision about whether the chief would be placed under any kind of suspension or paid leave as the charge was sorted out.
