I-TEAM UPDATE: Amid jail arrest, cop already faced DUI charge
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - News 12 has learned a deputy arrested over the use of force at the jail was still working at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office while fighting DUI charges.
Daniel D’Aversa is among at least five officers arrested, with a sixth facing similar charges in connection with a response to a conflict with inmates at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center on May 7, 2022.
The officers were arrested last week after the sheriff’s agency said it determined an unnecessary amount of force was used after the officers responded to what’s been described as unruly behavior by inmates.
Body camera footage obtained by News 12 shows the response:
Arrest warrants aren’t yet available for the deputies charged so far. The documents usually provide some details on the allegations against the suspects. A Superior Court clerk’s employee said the warrants haven’t been filed yet, which could indicate more arrests are ahead.
We’ve learned that D’Aversa was arrested around 2:30 a.m. July 9, 2023, on suspicion of driving under the influence in Columbia County.
The Grovetown resident was pulled over by a Georgia State Patrol trooper on westbound Interstate 20 at mile marker 193, according to authorities. He was driving a 2006 red Jeep Wrangler, according to the traffic ticket.
The ticket says a DUI test was istered but he refused a blood test.
He was charged with driving under the influence (less safe) of alcohol and failure to maintain lane, according to court records.
He waived arraignment and pleaded not guilty on Nov. 29, according to court records
As a deputy, he was most recently assigned to the Charles B. Webster Detention Center. A law enforcement source tells News 12 it’s not possible to serve as a road patrol deputy while facing DUI charges.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Augusta DA responds to Richmond County jail incident emails
- Video sheds light on jail incident that spurred arrests of officers
- A look at the details in recent Richmond County investigators’ arrest
- Richmond County lawmen arrested over use of force at jail
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation of itself regarding the jail incident.
To avoid a conflict of interest, agencies often ask an outside agency to conduct such an investigation.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation regional Special Agent in Charge Pat Morgan said his agency has not been requested to investigate the matter.
When asked if the GBI would need to be called in to investigate the jail incident, Nelly Miles, director of the GBI Office of Public and Governmental Affairs, said:
“Richmond County would have to make the request to GBI. Our agency does not have the statutory authority to initiate our own investigation.”
The FBI, meanwhile, confirmed it is aware of the matter.
When ed by News 12, to see if the FBI is getting involved in the case, the agency said Thursday:
“FBI Atlanta is aware of the situation.”
That’s unusual because the agency rarely confirms or denies anything.
In fact, News 12 only recalls a couple of times in the past year the agency has acknowledged being “aware” of a situation.
Even though Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs said it only learned about the incident involving the inmates last week, the I-TEAM first reported it six months ago.
While we didn’t have the body camera video back then, another source gave us a short clip that showed a deputy punching an inmate and then tackling him with his arm around the inmate’s neck. We first raised questions back in July about what happened and why no one was disciplined.
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