GBI arrests off-duty Taliaferro County deputy on home invasion, other charges
GREENSBORO, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says they have arrested and charged an off-duty Taliaferro County deputy.
Officials say 29-year-old Joshua Wilson, of Winterville, was charged with home invasion in the first degree, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, simple battery, obstructing or hindering a person making an emergency telephone call and criminal damage to property in the second degree.
On Thursday around 5 a.m., the Greene County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 1000 block of McInteer Circle in Greensboro, regarding a domestic dispute.
The investigation showed that Wilson entered a home and got in a fight with residents of the home.
At the time of the incident, Wilson was a deputy with the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office and was off-duty.
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GBI officials say around 7 a.m., they were requested by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office to assist with a domestic violence investigation.
Wilson later turned himself into the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.
“I am disappointed by the lawless actions of former Deputy Joshua Wilson,” Taliaferro County Sheriff Tia M. McWilliams in a statement. “As law enforcement officers, we are called to a higher standard of conduct, both on and off the job.”
She said she tries to impress upon the hearts and minds of her staff the necessity to live out their mission: To protect and serve with honor, integrity, love, comion, and respect.
“I know all humans possess the innate ability to fall short; therefore, we must choose daily to humble ourselves and be intentional about doing what is morally, ethically, lawfully, and justifiably right at all times, while at the same time extending to others the dignity, love, comion, and respect we want extended to ourselves and our loved ones in our moments of distress,” she said. “We must forever be mindful that one day it may be Jane or John Doe who you have to arrest and on another day it could be you, so choose to live life justly and treat people right.”
According to the Sparta Police Department, Wilson was hired as a part-time officer with the department on May 17, 2024, and his last day of employment was Aug. 23, 2024.
“The Sparta Police Department, along with the City of Sparta, does not condone any acts of violence. We uphold the highest standards of professional and respectful conduct for all officers, both on and off duty,” Chief of Police Tommie Walker said in a statement.
The investigation is active and ongoing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to the GBI regional investigative office in Milledgeville at 478-445-4173. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by ing the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
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