Fulton County detention officer arrested, faces multiple aggravated assault charges (2024)

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A Fulton County detention officer has been fired and arrested and now faces a slew of charges, including multiple for aggravated assault.

Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat announced Friday the charges against Reynard Trotman. Those include seven counts of violation of oath by a public officer, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of battery, reckless conduct, cruelty to inmate and conspiracy to commit a felony.

Sheriff Labat told 11Alive that they started investigating after seeing a detainee at the Fulton County jail with lacerations and puncture wounds.

"The interesting, interesting situation in this case, is the detainee really tried to hide from other staff that he was injured," he said. "So once the right people did the right thing, we were able to get the necessary help.”

Labat said that they are fortunate that the inmate survived, but that's what led them to check video surveillance.

“The video evidence proves that there was a detention officer who actually failed to run a fail to uphold and do their job. So to that end, we started the investigation and took out the warrants necessary to make sure that we had him arrested," he added.

A release from the sheriff's office noted only that he was "accused of aiding and abetting during the commission of a crime, and of failing to render aid or protecting an inmate from physical harm."

Labat told 11Alive that he was shocked to learn about the attack in his own jail and Trotman's alleged involvement.

“Having seen this particular officer around, I was shocked," he said. "I remember vividly, just the gregarious attitude, the happy-go-lucky, happy to be here. It's really reprehensible to allow somebody to take advantage of another individual that you're supposed to be protecting. And so again, we will hold him and any other bad actors accountable when it comes to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office."

Sheriff Labat added that the multiple detainees who attacked the inmate will also be charged.

They are also looking into whether Trotman and the inmate knew one another and whether another employee could be involved.

"Our focus is making sure that we take and tie everything together holistically, and make sure we present the best evidence to the DA and her team so that we were able to hold this young man who had made a tragic decision accountable," he added.

The release also said these actions led to the termination and arrest of Trotman, who had been with the sheriff's office since July 2022. Trotman also previously worked for nearly five years as a jailor in Clayton County before a voluntary resignation in early 2022.

It's unclear why Trotman resigned in Clayton County, but Labat said that sometimes happens when officers try to find a different work environment. He added that Fulton County has a $9,000 signing bonus that Trotman may have been attracted to.

In a statement, Sheriff Labat said:

The acts of this detention officer do not reflect the mission of the Fulton CountySheriff’s Office. Any officer who violates their sworn oath not only brings discredit upon themselves but also exacerbates the critical staffing challenges that law enforcement agencies around the country are working to overcome. As Sheriff of Fulton County, I am committed to transparency and to holding each and every employee accountable to protect and serve every member of our community, including those in our custody. Being a detention officer is an incredibly difficult job but there is no excuse for the behavior that led to this arrest. The actions of this one individual are certainly not a reflection of the men and women of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office who show up to work each and every day and conduct their duties with professionalism, respect and integrity.