APPLING COUNTY, Ga. — Public court filings and GBI records describe allegations from Jan. 29, 2022, at the Appling County Jail involving pretrial detainee Tremar Harris and then-jail officer William Rentz.
According to Harris's federal lawsuit, Rentz wrapped the chain of an unused leg restraint around Harris's neck for about four seconds while Harris was secured in a restraint chair. The suit also alleges a racial remark. Three officers, Daydan Brannon, Cannon Mcleod and Ansley Fennell, are alleged to have watched, failed to intervene and failed to report the force. These are lawsuit allegations, not findings of guilt.
The Appling County Sheriff's Office asked the GBI to investigate. Rentz was fired and arrested on Feb. 8, 2022, on aggravated assault, battery and violation of oath of office. Later reporting shows the charges were reduced; some April 2024 outlets reported they were dropped.
Harris v. Brannon (2:24-cv-00056) was closed Dec. 27, 2024, and Harris v. Rentz (2:24-cv-00009) was closed Jan. 7, 2025. Settlement terms, if any, have not been made public.
Read Part 2: what we know now, and the Open Records requests we filed →
An arrest is not a conviction. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Sources: GBI press release (Feb. 8, 2022); stamped federal complaint; CourtListener dockets; FOX 5 Atlanta, WJCL, AJC, NBC News, McClatchy.
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