Quincy Cannon is a former Richmond County, Georgia, sheriff’s deputy who was arrested in December 2022 on charges of battery and violation of oath of office after a handcuffed suspect accused him and two other deputies of beating him inside the sheriff’s office. A grand jury declined to indict Cannon in May 2023, but he had already been forced to resign days after his arrest. He has since sued the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office for racial discrimination and filed a professional complaint against the district attorney who handled the case.
The Arrest and the Allegations
The case grew out of a shooting on November 10, 2022. Deputies responded to a disturbance on the 2200 block of Bungalow Road in Augusta, where 34-year-old Vernon Cratic Jr. was barricaded inside a home. When deputies entered, Cratic opened fire and struck Deputy Michael Cole in the face.1Georgia Bureau of Investigation. GBI Investigates Officer-Involved Shooting and Aggravated Assault Cratic surrendered to SWAT around 4:00 a.m. and was taken into custody.
After his arrest, Cratic told Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents that deputies had assaulted him while he was handcuffed. The GBI concluded that Cratic was struck in the face and stomach inside an elevator at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and slammed against an exterior wall of the building while being escorted inside.2Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Three Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Arrested for Battery Violation
On December 15, 2022, the GBI arrested three deputies. Cannon, then 31, was charged with battery and violation of oath of office. Andrew Acosta, 25, was charged with simple battery and violation of oath of office. Robert Wilson, 45, was charged with violation of oath of office. All three were placed on administrative leave.3Augusta Chronicle. Three Augusta Richmond County Sheriff Deputies Charged With Assaulting Suspect in Custody
Cannon’s Account
In a July 2023 interview with WRDW, Cannon acknowledged making physical contact with Cratic but described it as a measured response. He said Cratic tried to head-butt the officers in the elevator and that he answered with “two quick strikes” using his left hand to regain control. “He stopped. I stopped, and that was the end of that,” Cannon said.4WRDW. Deputies Break Silence on Suspect’s Claims of Attack in Elevator
Cannon noted that his and Wilson’s body camera batteries had died and that there were no security cameras in the elevator, leaving no video record. Photographs showed the only visible injury on Cratic was to his lip, which the deputies said occurred before the elevator incident.4WRDW. Deputies Break Silence on Suspect’s Claims of Attack in Elevator
The Grand Jury Declined to Indict
District Attorney Jared Williams presented the case to a Richmond County grand jury, which returned a no bill on May 9, 2023, declining to indict Cannon, Acosta, or Wilson on any charge.5WRDW. Charges Vanish for Ex-Cops Accused of Beating Suspect In the same session, the grand jury also declined to indict a fourth deputy, Arnold Verge, who had been investigated for allegedly failing to intervene in an unrelated jail assault.6The Augusta Press. Grand Jury Declines to Indict 3 RCSO Cops in Beating of Handcuffed Suspect
Why He Lost His Job Anyway
The grand jury’s decision came too late to save Cannon’s career. He has said the sheriff’s office chief deputy told him on December 20, 2022, just five days after his arrest, to resign or be fired. Cannon resigned and was then directed to submit a formal voluntary resignation letter.7The Augusta Press. Former Top Cop for RCSO Sues Sheriff’s Office for Racial Discrimination Wilson was terminated outright.4WRDW. Deputies Break Silence on Suspect’s Claims of Attack in Elevator
Cannon had served with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office from June 2018 to November 2022 and was named the department’s Deputy of the Year in 2021. He is also a former Marine. Even after the charges disappeared, he was not permitted to return to the department. He filed a complaint with the EEOC and received a right-to-sue letter, and by mid-2023 he had found work in law enforcement with another local agency.4WRDW. Deputies Break Silence on Suspect’s Claims of Attack in Elevator
The Racial Discrimination Lawsuit
On April 2, 2024, Cannon filed suit in U.S. District Court against the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.8WRDW. Former Deputy Files Lawsuit Against Richmond County Sheriff’s Office He alleges that, as a Black deputy, he was pushed out while white deputies accused of comparable misconduct received more lenient treatment. The complaint cites disparate treatment in GBI investigations, internal investigations, suspensions, and negative reports filed with the state POST Council.9WJBF. Former RCSO Deputy Suing Sheriff’s Office Claiming Discrimination
In his 2023 interview, Cannon pointed to Deputy Brandon Keathley, who had been indicted for assaulting a fellow deputy but remained on administrative leave while still being paid. “You got Stack A over here involving Hispanic deputy, a Black MP and a white deputy,” Cannon said. “You got Stack B over here involving two Caucasian deputies. ‘Let’s burn him. Let’s give them a second chance.'”4WRDW. Deputies Break Silence on Suspect’s Claims of Attack in Elevator
The lawsuit seeks back pay, front pay, benefits, damages for emotional distress, punitive damages, and attorney fees.7The Augusta Press. Former Top Cop for RCSO Sues Sheriff’s Office for Racial Discrimination
The Complaint Against DA Jared Williams
In January 2026, Cannon filed a formal complaint against Augusta District Attorney Jared Williams, alleging that Williams violated rules requiring fairness to opposing parties and their counsel. Cannon says Williams selectively granted a third-party investigator from the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council access to secret grand jury materials while denying comparable access to Cannon’s own attorney. The complaint centers on the use of evidence from the sealed proceedings against Cannon even though the grand jury had declined to pursue criminal charges.10WRDW. Former Richmond County Deputy Files Complaint Against DA
The POST Council appears to be continuing to review Cannon’s conduct and his law enforcement certification after the criminal case ended. The available reporting does not reflect a final outcome of either the POST investigation or the complaint against Williams.
The Context at the Sheriff’s Office
Cannon’s case unfolded during a period of persistent misconduct problems at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Richard Roundtree, who led the department from 2013 until losing the 2024 Democratic primary. Between September 2021 and June 2023, 24 RCSO deputies and investigators were arrested, with 10 of those arrests tied to smuggling contraband into the jail. In September 2023, two ranked officers were fired and two others demoted over sexual relationships between supervisors and subordinates, including one incident in which a sex act was broadcast over police radio.11Augusta Chronicle. Augusta Sheriff Challenger Address Misconduct Roundtree died in April 2026 at age 57.12WRDW. Former Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree Dies