TOWNS COUNTY, Ga. — Gov. Brian Kemp has suspended Towns County Sheriff Kenneth Henderson for 60 days, following a state panel’s recommendation that he be temporarily removed from office over alleged misconduct. The suspension took effect immediately upon the governor’s order signed on Tuesday, October 21.
What led to the suspension
The move follows a monthlong investigation conducted by a three-member panel appointed by Kemp on September 19. That panel — comprised of Attorney General Chris Carr, Coweta County Sheriff Lenn Wood, and Newton County Sheriff Ezell Brown — was tasked with investigating allegations of misconduct by Henderson after a request from the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association.
The association had informed the governor that Henderson was “not performing the duties required of his office due to such misconduct,” according to the first executive order establishing the committee. The panel submitted its findings to Kemp on October 17, recommending suspension under O.C.G.A. §15-16-26(c).
Kemp adopted that recommendation in a second executive order signed Tuesday, writing: “Sheriff Henderson is hereby suspended from the Office of Sheriff of Towns County for a period of sixty (60) days, effective immediately.”
Neither the governor’s office nor the attorney general has released details about the alleged misconduct. It is unknown whether the findings are tied solely to the December 2024 incident in which a Towns County deputy was shot. Bodycam footage obtained by Atlanta News First shows a confrontation between Sheriff Henderson and a Hiawassee police officer at the scene that night. Other videos and recordings of clashes with Henderson are circulating online. It is unclear whether those and/or other matters were uncovered during the panel’s review.
State officials have not said whether criminal charges are being considered, or whether the suspension could be extended or result in permanent removal from office.
Henderson has publicly defended his actions, calling criticism “misinformation.” In a social media post regarding the December 2024 incident, he accused Hiawassee Officer José Carvajal of “contaminating the crime scene, tampering with the most significant evidence and obstructing our investigation.”
