By Becky Holland
A Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been relieved of duty following his arrest Thursday evening in Dublin in connection with a family violence incident, according to Sheriff Daniel Cape.
Sheriff Cape announced Thursday on his office’s official Facebook page that Deputy James Austin, who serves in the agency’s Uniform Patrol Division, was arrested in Dublin. The sheriff did not identify the specific charges in his public statement.
“Effective immediately, Deputy Austin has been relieved of his duties and will be terminated from this agency pending bond,” Cape said.
Cape said everyone is entitled to due process while emphasizing that members of law enforcement are expected to meet a high standard of conduct.
“Everyone is entitled to due process under the law, but no one is above the law,” Cape said. “The badge does not place anyone beyond accountability. We hold our deputies to a high standard, and when those standards are not met, we will take appropriate action.”
In a statement posted to social media Thursday night, Cape said he chose to address the situation publicly rather than allow rumors to spread.
“With that commitment in mind, I want to inform our community that one of our deputies was arrested this evening,” he wrote. “I made a promise to lead this office with honesty and transparency, and that means addressing difficult situations head-on instead of allowing rumors or half-truths to spread.”
As of Thursday night, additional details regarding the arrest, including the specific charges, bond information and the arresting agency’s incident report, were not immediately available.
The Ledger will update this story as more information becomes available.
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