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Gov. Brian Kemp has suspended Towns County Sheriff Kenneth Henderson for 60 days following an investigative panel’s recommendation delivered late last week.
The governor signed the suspension order Tuesday, stating the move is effective immediately. It comes after a committee made up of Attorney General Chris Carr, Coweta County Sheriff Lem Wood and Newton County Sheriff Ezell Brown advised that Henderson be removed under the Georgia Code.
State officials have not said what specific misconduct led to the suspension or whether the findings relate solely to the December altercation involving Hiawassee Officer José Carvajal.
It is unclear if criminal charges are being considered or if the panel uncovered additional incidents beyond what has been publicly reported.
The governor has also not indicated whether the suspension could be extended or lead to permanent removal from office.
Kemp appointed the panel on Sept. 19 at the request of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, which asked for a review of allegations of misconduct tied to Henderson’s handling of a December police response in Hiawassee. The committee submitted its findings to the governor on Oct. 17.
Henderson has publicly defended himself in recent weeks, calling the criticism “misinformation” and saying Hiawassee Officer José Carvajal unlawfully interfered during the emergency response when a Towns County deputy was accidentally shot in the leg. In a Facebook post, he accused Carvajal of “contaminating the crime scene, tampering with the most significant evidence and obstructing our investigation.”
