The lawsuit filed by Tremar Harris accuses three corrections officers at the Appling County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia of allowing former officer William Rentz to choke him with a leg restraint while making a racist comment. The incident occurred on January 29, 2022, while Harris was a pre-trial detainee at the jail. Rentz was subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated assault, battery, and violation of oath of office, and was terminated from his position. The lawsuit alleges that the three other officers present at the time did not intervene to stop Rentz from strangling Harris for about four seconds.
Harris was placed in a restraint chair and put in a padded cell at the jail, where he managed to free his right arm from the restraint. When the officers entered the cell to secure him with handcuffs, Rentz reportedly used the chain of an unused leg restraint to choke Harris from behind. Rentz, who is white, allegedly made a racist comment about putting Harris “back in the cotton field with the other boys,” implying that he was a slave. The lawsuit states that Harris was in a state of terror and feared for his life during the assault, as he was not posing a threat at the time.
In a separate federal civil lawsuit filed in January, Harris had accused Rentz of placing him in solitary confinement due to erratic behavior. Rentz stated in court documents that he believed his actions were appropriate and necessary. The current lawsuit seeks damages against Rentz and the three officers who allegedly watched as he choked Harris. The Appling County Sheriff’s Office has not responded to requests for comment on the matter. The three officers involved in the incident have not been reached for comment, and it is unclear if they have obtained legal representation.
The lawsuit highlights the claim that the three defendants failed to intervene and stop Rentz from assaulting Harris, despite having a duty to do so. The photo included in the lawsuit shows Rentz choking Harris with the leg restraint while the three officers look on. The suit alleges that Harris was not posing a threat at the time and was in a state of extreme fear during the assault. The attorney for Rentz had no comment beyond the lawsuit, and the attorney for Harris did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Overall, the lawsuit filed by Tremar Harris against the Appling County Sheriff’s Office sheds light on an alleged incident of assault and racism within the correctional facility. The case raises concerns about the behavior of correction officers and the importance of accountability in such environments. The lawsuit seeks justice for Harris and brings attention to the need for proper training and supervision of corrections officers to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
