Sheriff Kenneth Henderson (Official Facebook photo)
TOWNS COUNTY, Ga. - Towns County Sheriff Kenneth Henderson has been indicted by a grand jury.
What we know:
The indictment, obtained by FOX 5 on Tuesday, charges Henderson with three counts of violation of oath by a public officer, two counts of false imprisonment under color of law, one count of simple battery on a police officer and one count of simple battery.
The backstory:
The charges stem from the detainment of Hiawassee Police Officer José Carvajal on Dec. 13, 2024 at a crime scene after a sheriff's deputy was shot in the leg. Officials have since said that deputy shot himself in the leg and have arrested him.
Just last week, Gov. Brian Kemp placed the sheriff on leave after ordering a committee to look into Carvajal’s arrest in September.
The other side:
Henderson has publicly defended himself in recent weeks, calling the criticism "misinformation" and saying Hiawassee Officer Carvajal unlawfully interfered during the emergency response. In a Facebook post, he accused Carvajal of "contaminating the crime scene, tampering with the most significant evidence and obstructing our investigation."
The Source: Information in this article came from court documents and past FOX 5 reporting.