Former Georgia jail supervisor charged with using excessive force on detainees

A former Atlanta-area jail supervisor and deputy has been arraigned on federal charges for using excessive force on three detainees and falsifying reports to conceal her actions, according to prosecutors.

Khadijah Solomon, 47, of Fairburn, Georgia, appeared in court on Tuesday. The indictment alleges that while serving as a jail supervisor with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, she used her department-issued Taser to shock and stun three male detainees without legal justification, including one who was handcuffed at the time.

All three detainees were reportedly compliant and non-threatening during the incidents, which were captured on Solomon’s body camera.

The indictment also charges Solomon with obstructing justice by submitting incident reports that allegedly contained materially false statements about the detainees’ behavior and her use of force.

Authorities say the conduct violated the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office’s use-of-force policy, which requires that force be objectively reasonable and prohibits the use of a Taser as punishment.

“Law enforcement officers in this district perform their duties professionally and honorably, but those who abuse their power will be held accountable for their unlawful conduct,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement. “Abuses of power of this kind are unconstitutional, erode our community’s trust, and will be prosecuted.”

Solomon faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each federal civil rights violation, and 20 years in prison for each false report. The FBI is leading the investigation.

“When a law enforcement officer betrays the badge by using unlawful force and attempting to cover it up, it not only harms the victim—it undermines the integrity of our entire justice system,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Atlanta office.