A Georgia sheriff was charged with sexual battery after turning himself in for groping television Judge Glenda Hatchett at a sheriff’s convention earlier this year, WSB-TV Channel 2 Action News reported. DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown witnessed Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody sexually assault Hatchett and detailed the entire incident.
According to Brown, Hatchett was his guest at the conference, which took place at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Bar. Upon introducing her to the other sheriffs at the event, Coody allegedly started touching Hatchett inappropriately when Brown had turned his attention away from them. When his attention returned to the pair, Brown was left to not only interfere verbally but also physically.
“As I turned to my left to focus back on the two of them, I saw his hand go down her left breast, Brown recalled. “I grabbed his arm threw it off of her chest and basically said, ‘What are you (adjective) think you’re doing?’ and that’s basically where it ended.”
Brown said that what he witnessed made him angry and he wanted to do more than take his hand off her.
“She was there as my guest, so I was obviously upset,” he said. “Obviously mad. He was obviously intoxicated.”
As for Hatchett, Brown said that she was shocked and had “a rough time of it.”
The day after the event, Brown said he confronted Coody about his actions.
Hatchett hopes to further share her traumatic experience with others to help other victims of sexual assault.
“She’s very passionate about telling her story at some point in time, if for no other reason, for the hundreds of ladies out there who may have been victims of some type of sexual assault, but have not said anything because they are afraid to do so.”
In a statement to WSB-TV, the Bleckley County Sheriff’s office and Coody stated that the sheriff was taking the charges seriously and that, while it may be inappropriate to contact Hatchett, he looks forward to apologizing and expressing his regrets when the time is right.
