APPLING COUNTY, Ga. — Thousands of you watched our first report on the Appling County Jail video and asked the same questions: What happened to the officer? Did anyone pay? Are those guards still working? Here is where it stands.
What the lawsuit says. A federal lawsuit says that on Jan. 29, 2022, jail officer William Rentz pulled the chain of an unused leg restraint across the throat of detainee Tremar Harris for about four seconds while Harris was secured in a restraint chair, as three other officers (Daydan Brannon, Cannon Mcleod and Ansley Fennell) watched. These are allegations.
The criminal case. The Appling County Sheriff's Office asked the GBI to investigate, and the GBI arrested Rentz on Feb. 8, 2022, on charges of aggravated assault, battery and violation of oath of office. The aggravated assault charge was later reduced. In April 2024, some outlets reported the case had been dropped, while others reported it was continuing on lesser charges. The public record we have found so far does not settle it.
The lawsuits. Harris filed two federal suits in the Southern District of Georgia: Harris v. Rentz (2:24-cv-00009) and Harris v. Brannon (2:24-cv-00056). Both were closed by January 2025. Whether anyone paid a settlement, or how much, has not been made public.
What we're doing. On Oct. 2, 2026, Any County News filed Open Records requests with the Appling County Sheriff's Office, the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney, the Appling County Board of Commissioners, the Georgia POST Council, the Appling County Clerk of Superior Court, and the GBI. We asked for the jail video and reports, discipline records, the reason the charge was reduced, the officers' certification status, and any settlement payments. When the records come back, you'll see them here first.
An arrest is not a conviction. Lawsuit claims are allegations. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Sources: GBI press release (Feb. 8, 2022); stamped federal complaint, Harris v. Brannon; CourtListener dockets; prior reporting by FOX 5 Atlanta, WJCL, AJC, NBC News and McClatchy.
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Credit: Any County News