HIAWASSEE – Suspended Towns County Sheriff Ken Henderson was booked into his own jail on Tuesday, Oct. 28, after Enotah Judicial Circuit Superior Court Chief Judge Joy Parks issued a bench warrant for his arrest during a bond hearing that same morning.
Henderson was given about 50 minutes to turn himself into the Towns County Jail. He was assigned an “own recognizance” bond, meaning he was released immediately after signing his paperwork.
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The warrant resulted from indictments handed up the day before by a Towns County grand jury on a special presentment made by Appalachian Judicial Circuit District Attorney Frank Wood inside the Towns County Courthouse on Monday, Oct. 27.
Henderson’s charges stem from the incident in which he placed Hiawassee Police Officer Jose Carvajal under arrest at the Dec. 13, 2024, shooting scene of former Towns County Sheriff’s Deputy Austin Bradburn.
The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia appointed Wood as special prosecutor in the case after Enotah Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jeff Langley requested one in July. Langley recused his office for being in Henderson’s home circuit.
Wood showed grand jurors a PowerPoint presentation featuring upwards of 150 slides and multiple videos of evidence from the GBI investigation into Henderson’s alleged actions in December 2024.
Later that evening, grand jurors issued seven criminal charges against Henderson: three counts violation of oath by a public officer, one count false imprisonment under color of law, one count false imprisonment – all felonies – one misdemeanor count simple battery on a police officer, and one misdemeanor count simple battery.
Given the high-profile nature of a sheriff facing criminal charges, the case is expected to be expedited for trial, though a timeline was not available at press time.
Hiawassee-based Attorney Larry Sorgen, who has been representing Henderson in these matters, said the sheriff was “obviously” disappointed about being indicted.
“Up to this point in the process, he has not had the opportunity to confront and cross examine the witnesses to the events underlying the charges against him,” Sorgen said. “Sheriff Henderson has faith in our judicial system and that the truth will prevail.
“There are many moving parts and work to be done pre-trial and it is too early, and not within our purview, to predict a trial date at this time.”
When indicted, Henderson was on a 60-day suspension by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp that was extendable to 90 days. Effective Oct. 21, the suspension came by way of a recommendation from an investigatory committee Kemp formed in September regarding misconduct allegations.
But now that Henderson has been indicted, he will remain suspended pending a resolution in his case. If acquitted, he will be reinstated as sheriff. If convicted, there will need to be a special election to fill the remainder of his second term, which began this year.
As previously reported, Henderson’s case deals with the facts of the Dec. 13 incident in which he placed Officer Carvajal briefly under arrest before having him released without charges.
Carvajal had responded out of his city jurisdiction to render aid to then-Deputy Bradburn, who had been shot. Per body cam footage obtained by former CBS affiliate Atlanta News First, Carvajal inadvertently handled the gun from the shooting, which was crime scene evidence.
According to additional body cam video, after learning the fate of the gun, Henderson grew increasingly agitated that Carvajal would not personally turn over the firearm, which the city officer had tucked into his waistband until GBI could take possession of it.
Carvajal invited the sheriff to grab the weapon himself but said he did not want to touch the gun again until GBI arrived. The situation spiraled into a heated argument in which the sheriff physically confronted Carvajal before ultimately arresting him.
Also Oct. 27, ex-Deputy Bradburn was indicted by Towns County grand jurors on seven counts related to making false statements about the Dec. 13 incident in which he was shot in the leg; authorities believe he lied about the presence of an unknown assailant, implying he shot himself.
Regarding his case, Bradburn has now been indicted in Union, Hall and Towns counties.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Prior to Henderson’s indictment Oct. 27, Judge Parks appointed Towns County native Anthony Coleman as interim sheriff, exercising her authority as the “chief judge of the county of the suspended sheriff’s residence” to appoint a person “who meets the qualifications for sheriffs,” per court documents.
One of several options for interim sheriff, Coleman is a retired lieutenant with Georgia State Patrol who brings extensive law enforcement experience to the job. As interim sheriff, he has assumed all duties and responsibilities formerly held by Henderson.
