Former Fulton County Sheriff’s Office sergeant charged with excessive use of force

ATLANTA - Louis Brown, III, a former sergeant with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, has been arraigned on federal charges of using excessive force against a pretrial detainee at the Fulton County Courthouse.

"Brown allegedly betrayed his badge by punching a handcuffed detainee without justification and by directing his subordinates to turn off their body-worn cameras to try to get away with his crime," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "To maintain the public's faith in our justice system, sworn officers who abuse their positions of trust must be held accountable."

"The overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers serve their communities with integrity and professionalism every day," said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "But when an officer allegedly violates the constitutional rights of a person in their custody, it undermines public trust and the oath they swore to uphold. The FBI remains committed to working to ensure anyone who abuses a position of authority is held accountable under the law."

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, information provided in court, and other publicly available information: The use-of-force policy implemented by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) directs officers to use force that is objectively reasonable. To determine whether force is objectively reasonable, officers are required to consider the immediate threat posed by the subject and whether the subject is actively resisting. Consistent with the U.S. Constitution, the FCSO's policy forbids force when an individual is compliant and not resisting arrest.

On June 4, 2025, while employed at the Fulton County Courthouse as a sergeant with the FCSO, Brown allegedly punched and slapped a handcuffed detainee, repeatedly, without legal justification. Immediately before the alleged attack, Brown commanded other deputies to deactivate their body-worn cameras. One deputy's camera nevertheless captured the attack, and the video captured by that camera allegedly shows the detainee was compliant and non-threatening as Brown allegedly assaulted him.

On May 15, 2026, Louis Brown, III, 41, of Smyrna, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas. Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 12, 2026, of depriving a person of civil rights under color of law.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent, and it will be the government's burden to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brent Alan Gray and Dwayne A. Brown Jr. are prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.