GILES COUNTY TENN. (WTVF) — Two Lawrence County Sheriff's deputies and a former prosecutor in District Attorney Brent Cooper's office now face criminal charges.
They were booked into the Giles County jail on Friday.
It follows an investigation into the excessive use of force by the deputies and a cover-up by the former Assistant District Attorney.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates first reported on the case.
Lawrence County deputies Zach Ferguson and Eric Caperton were indicted on charges including aggravated assault, official misconduct and official oppression.
Former Assistant District Attorney Emily Crafton was charged with official misconduct.
All three bonded out of the Giles County jail.
On October 5, 2020, Lawrence County deputies Ferguson and Caperton arrested Charles Jones.
They were working with the 22nd Judicial Drug Task Force.
The 62-year-old Jones was badly beaten and taken to the hospital after the arrest.
Pictures show his bruised and bloody face.
According to court filings, the deputies took cell phone pictures of Jones badly beaten face after the arrest and sent them to Assistant District Attorney Emily Crafton.
According to court filings, Crafton advised them to delete the cell phone pictures.
District Attorney Brent Cooper fired Crafton last year for unsatisfactory job performance.
His office then investigated the case along with the FBI.
Cooper turned the results of his investigation over to a special prosecutor.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates will continue to follow developments in this case.
