GBI Finds No Wrongdoing in Death of DeKalb Jail Recruit

A Georgia Bureau of Investigations review of the death of a DeKalb County jail officer recruit found no cause for action, and officials blamed the man’s tragic death on pre-existing medical conditions.

Last month Sheriff Jeffrey L. Mann asked the GBI to look into the 2013 death of George Ward. The request came following an investigation by WSB-TV that questioned circumstances surrounding the death of Ward on May 22, 2013, after two days of training.

“We understand that Mr. Ward’s family continues to grieve his loss, and they have our sympathies,” Mann said in a release Thursday. “After reviewing the report, however, I remain confident that this agency acted responsibly with regard to his tragic death and to our training program during retired Sheriff Thomas Brown’s administration. We continue to do so today. When Mr. Ward became ill while training, we responded swiftly, professionally and appropriately.”

According to initial reports by the DeKalb medical examiner, Ward suffered from serious pre-existing medical conditions, the department said, although it didn’t specify what the conditions were. Those medical issues were confirmed by the GBI medical examiner as part of its review, authorities said.

“Given the nature of the detention officers’ job, it is critical that all our officers are well-trained physically, emotionally and mentally,” Mann said in the release. “They must be able to function effectively in the life-or-death situations that occur inside the jail. While hundreds of officers have successfully graduated from our Jail Academy, those few who found it to be too challenging were either released or left the program voluntarily.”

During training, Ward was forced a recruit to wear a pink hat and shirt after struggling with some of the physical challenges. The treatment came to light in a training video the TV station obtained through an open records request following a tip from DeKalb County sheriff’s office insiders who had concerns about Ward’s death.

The video prompted the county medical examiner to change Ward’s cause of death.

While the sheriff told WSB that recruits who need special attention often wear a clearly identifiable shirt or hat, Ward’s mother says deputies wanted to humiliate her son.

“I need someone to tell me how my son died,” Lorraine Fredericks told the TV station.

»Screenshot from WSB TV of George Ward during training with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s office.