A Black inmate at a Georgia jail accused a corrections officer of choking him with a leg restraint and making a racist remark while 3 different officials watched, consistent with a lawsuit.
Tremar Harris filed a federal civil lawsuit Tuesday within the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia towards 3 corrections officials with the Appling County Sheriff’s Office.
The swimsuit says that the officials “had a duty to intervene” and forestall the Jan. 29, 2022, attack however as an alternative, they stood and watched as former corrections officer William Rentz “pulled the chain against the Plaintiff’s throat and strangled” him for approximately 4 seconds.
Rentz, who isn’t indexed as a defendant within the lawsuit however is indexed in an previous one filed by Harris, was therefore arrested and charged with annoyed attack, battery and violation of oath of workplace. The newer swimsuit says he was terminated by the sheriff’s workplace.
The Appling County Sheriff’s Office didn’t straight away reply to a request for touch upon Thursday.
Harris was a pre-trial detainee on the Appling County Jail and was in solitary confinement, consistent with the swimsuit. While on the jail, Harris was positioned in a restraint chair and installed a padded cellular.
The swimsuit says that Harris was in a position to loose his proper arm from the restraint at the chair, and the 3 defendants entered the cellular to protected him with handcuffs.
“Subsequently, while standing above and behind the Plaintiff who was seated and secured in the restraint chair, Officer Rentz used the chain of an unused leg restraint and placed it across the Plaintiff’s throat,” the swimsuit says.
While Rentz choked Harris, the officer stated “he was gonna put you (Plaintiff) back in the cotton field with the other boys inferring that the Plaintiff was a slave,” the swimsuit says. Rentz is white.
A photograph incorporated within the lawsuit displays the officer showing to choke Harris with the leg restraint while the 3 defendants watch.
The swimsuit says that Harris was no longer posing a danger and feared he would possibly die all over the alleged attack.
“Plaintiff was in a state of terror and extreme fear at the time and after Officer Rentz took the chain of the leg restraint and strangled him,” it says.
The 3 officials may no longer be reached at telephone numbers indexed for them. It’s no longer transparent if they’ve received lawyers.
In January, Harris had filed a separate federal civil lawsuit towards Rentz. The former officer stated Harris was positioned in solitary confinement as a result of he was appearing unevenly, courtroom paperwork said. Rentz stated within the paperwork that he believes his movements “were appropriate and necessary.”
An lawyer for Rentz stated he had no remark past the lawsuit.
Harris is looking for damages towards Rentz and the 3 officials. His lawyer didn’t straight away reply to a request for remark.