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We would like to take this time to thank our black
leaders in our community and schools for the
positive impact that they provide in Burke County!
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Vol. 141, No. 52 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, February 16, 2022 - $1.00
Body cam records bizarre scene
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
An investigation into the actions
of two Waynesboro Police Depart
ment officers has resulted in an 8-day
suspension.
Chundra Hendrix exercised her
First Amendment right to peace
fully protest Saturday, February 12
in front of the historic courthouse
after the complaint against the two
officers has yielded the mother few
answers.
“I will not rest, I will not stop, I
refuse,” she said holding up a sign
with her child’s name on it. “If it
was your child, what would you do?”
Chundra and her husband Sam
Hendrix hied a complaint Jan. 31
with the WPD after her 7-year-old
child was allegedly kidnapped from
a truck parked at El Cheapo gas sta
tion Jan. 22. While Officers Ronald
Bartlett and Greg Stroud arrested
Sam for disorderly conduct, an un
identified black man attempted to
drive away with the child, the couple
states.
According to the complaint, the
couple contend the officers failed
to identify the “black man” and told
him that he was not in trouble but
simply asked him to put her back
into her parents’ truck.
Bartlett’s body cam first shows
a confusing scenario in which the
child is crying out, obviously upset
while her dad is being arrested. The
unidentified black man is then seen
standing next to Sam Hendrix’s
truck. Next the video shows the
child walking away with the alleged
stranger but speaking to her dad who
is detained in the back of the police
vehicle.
“Okay daddy,” she said as she
walked away with the “stranger.”
In a phone interview Monday Sam
Hendrix stated he was leaned over
attempting to retrieve his cell phone
and did not realize his daughter was
walking away with a stranger. He
thought officer Stroud was escorting
his daughter to the patrol car until her
mother arrived.
Next, on the body cam Sam Hen
drix is heard accusing Bartlett of
allowing someone to take the child.
An officer then stops the black man
as he is attempting to drive off with
the child in the back seat of his car.
He informs the man that the child’s
mother is on her way and tells him
not to leave. After the driver admits
that he does not know Sam Hen
drix or the child,
the officer asks why ® ^ ^
he was taking the ABDUCTION,
child. His response 3
Landmark store reopens
Taylor Brothers Express, a landmark county business noted for its high fly
ing red airplane, is reopening Monday, Feb. 21, exactly a year after a fire did
extensive damage to the business. Most of the damage to the building was in
the kitchen and dining area, and the owners have turned the rebuilding proj
ect into an opportunity to enlarge and improve the building and services. A
spokesperson for the store said, “we’d love to have you come by for Sunday
lunch after church!”
Jones sues City
of Waynesboro
From Staff Reports
Former Waynesboro Police major
Gary Jones has hied a lawsuit against
the City of Waynesboro following
his Oct. 20,2021 termination.
Jones, who announced the lawsuit
on Facebook last week, claims the
city violated the Georgia Whistle
blower Protection Act after he
pointed out to his employer thou
sands of dollars were missing from
the city fund.
Defendants listed in the com
plaint include City of Waynesboro
council members Richard “Dick”
Byne, James “Chick” Jones, Vickey
Bates, Bill Tinley and Willie Wil
liams , former councilwoman Alberta
Anderson, city administrator Valerie
Kirkland and WPD Chief Willie J.
Burley. The lawsuit claims that in
September of last year, Jones began
to suspect some monies collected
by the Waynesboro Municipal Court
were missing and had yet to be de
posited into the city’s account. Jones
says he presented the information to
Burley, requesting that the GBI be
brought in to investigate, and that
Burley denied the request, allowing
instead a consultant from Grovetown
to investigate the missing funds. The
complaint also claims the court clerk
and her assistants failed to comply
with several state statutes and with
the rules of the Georgia Crime Infor
mation Center Council.
In total, the complaint lays out
“nine violations of or noncompliance
with laws, rules, and regulations,” in
cluding improper storage of criminal
records and the wrongful termination
of Jones, which he claims was done
in retaliation.
Damages referenced in the lawsuit
include “an ongoing loss of pay and
benefits as well as emotional pain,
suffering, inconvenience, mental
anguish, and/or loss of enjoyment
of life, for which Waynesboro is
answerable in damages in an amount
to be determined by the enlightened
conscience of a jury.”
Jones’ reports in September 2021
initially indicated $65,000 was miss
ing, but as the investigation contin
ued, he changed the unaccounted
for funds amount to $144,000 and
then $25,000. During the Oct. 18,
2021 council meeting, Kirkland
stated only $2,023.10 was still unac
counted.
Jones is currently the mayor of
Grovetown.
Surviving cancer
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Relay For Life movement is
dedicated to helping communities at
tack cancer through donations, time
and raising awareness, virtually or in
person, to make a difference.
Locally, Relay For Life Burke
County is selling raffle tickets to help
fund a free-of-charge survivor’s din
ner at the Burke County Office Park,
Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. The cost of the
tickets is $10 and the prize is a Sony
PlayStation 5. Anyone interested in
purchasing the tickets should stop by
Waynesboro Primary, Waynesboro
Middle School, Burke County High
School or SoulBean Coffeehouse.
The tickets will be sold through
Feb. 25 and the drawing will take
place the next day. Proceeds from
the raffle will also be applied toward
a goal of a $25,000 donation to the
American Cancer Association. Ad
ditionally, luminary bags, honoring
victims of cancer, are for sale on the
nonprofit’s website. Proceeds from
the sale will also help raise money
for the donation.
The dinner offers survivors the
opportunity to share their stories
and fellowship with others who have
battled the disease. People currently
battling cancer are encouraged to
attend. Attendees of the survivor’s
dinner may bring one guest. Reser
vations can be made by contacting
Public Relations Liaison Tevin Wade
at the SoulBean Coffeehouse or by
contacting Dr. Tracy Colebrooke at
BCHS. Attendees may also secure
reservations by texting Tracy Cole
brooke at (912) 373-4736 or Tevin
Wade (470) 636-0811. Texts should
include the name of the survivor
and guest.
This year’s annual Relay For Life
public event will not take place
overnight as it has in past years.
Scheduled for April 29 at 5 p.m., at
the Burke County Recreational De
partment soccer held, it will end at
midnight. The family-oriented event
will include poetry reading, music,
children’s activities and vendors.
The event is free-of-charge.
The Relay for Life Burke County
Committee meets every Monday
at SoulBean Coffeehouse at 5 p.m.
Anyone interested in finding out
more about participating is welcome
to attend. More information about
Relay for Life Burke County is avail
able at www.secure.acsevents.org/
site/str?pg=entry&fr_id= 102614.
Relay for Life Club Members and Committee Members Megan Brooks, Susie
Hillman, Tevin Wade, Emily Creager, Tracy Colebrooke, Jasmine Bryant.