Bibb sheriff’s deputy arrested, fired after wrongful use of force incident, office says
A Bibb County sheriff’s deputy was arrested Thursday night in connection with a wrongful use of force incident earlier this year.
Joseph Bernard Calloway, 54, was charged with aggravated assault, making false statements and violation of oath by police officer, according to a Bibb County Sheriff’s Office news release.
He was also fired Thursday night.
An internal review of the April 9 incident and dash cam video found that Calloway improperly and illegally discharged his firearm, according to the release.
“A deputy shall not discharge a firearm from, or at, a moving vehicle, unless being fired upon or in imminent danger of being fired upon, or under such circumstances as to prevent death or serious physical injury,” the release said. “These conditions were not present during this incident.”
According to the release, Calloway and other deputies responded to a call of shots fired in the area of Price Drive. Deputy Corey Ostrow noticed a vehicle leaving the area just after the gunfire stopped.
Ostrow pulled in front of the vehicle in an attempt to stop it and turned on his blue lights.
Deputy Calloway pulled up behind the stopped vehicle whose driver then put the vehicle in forward gear and fled from deputies down Fairfax Drive.
Calloway began to fire his weapon at the vehicle.
The driver got away, but was later arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer. A determination will be made later on whether that charge will be prosecuted, the release said.
All use of force incidents are reviewed by the agency’s Office of Professional Standards and the chief deputy.
The internal review found that a sheriff’s incident report filed by Calloway and its description of the incident “did not reflect what was witnessed during the review of the patrol vehicle’s dash camera,” the release said.
Calloway, who served one year with the sheriff’s office, previously worked as a park ranger at Lake Tobosofkee, according to the release.