GAINESVILLE - A former Hall County jailer, who was fired earlier this week, now has been charged by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with striking a handcuffed inmate at the jail.
David Pirkle, 24, of Flowery Branch was arrested by the GBI Thursday morning and charged with simple battery and violation of oath of office, according to a press release from the Hall County Sheriff's Office.
The arrest stemmed from allegations Pirkle had hit a handcuffed inmate without due cause on Dec. 30, 2012. The GBI was contacted to conduct an independent investigation into the incident. Pirkle had been fired from the sheriff's office on Jan. 7, 2013.
His bond was set at $10,000.
In the statement, Sheriff Gerald Couch stated, "As I said previously, the vast majority of our officers do a tremendous job. As your Sheriff, excessive use of force cannot and will not be tolerated nor will I hesitate to request a criminal investigation into such matters when warranted."
Saturday
May 18th, 2024
1:51PM
