“This is not [a charge] that most people have heard about, because number one, it rarely happens,” said Hill’s attorney, Marissa Goldberg, who is representing him along with Drew Findling. “And number two, when it does happen, it generally involves pretty egregious behavior by some sort of official or law enforcement officials and typically involves physical violence, really excessive and aggressive and egregious behavior, which obviously does not exist here.”
Goldberg added that Hill abhors excessive force. In Sept. 2020, Hill terminated a deputy that was captured on video pinning down and repeatedly punching a Black man during a routine traffic stop.
“He was incredibly quick with the response to terminate a deputy who engaged in behavior that was deemed to be excessive force,” Goldberg told rolling out. “Anyone who he sees using excessive force is summarily dismissed. So he has taken a hard stance against that. And that’s completely contradictory to this indictment.”
Goldberg noted that Hill was given his service weapon back and, according to Channel 2 Action News in Atlanta, has returned to work. Hill believes the case against him is politically motivated and is confident he will be unequivocally exonerated.
Goldberg and Findling find it curious the DOJ decided to bring these charges against Hill when she says there are many more heinous cases of excessive force or brutality — some of which have made national headlines recently — that have not been addressed.
“The fact that the Department of Justice has chosen to bring the charges against the sheriff is really not only unusual, it’s shocking, and kind of offensive to the statute itself,” Goldberg said.
