DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – The arrest last week of Charles Daniel Hamrick, a Pickens County deputy and deputy commander of the Zell Miller Mountain Parkway Drug Task Force, could lead Dawson Count District Attorney Lee Darragh to drop the charges against some criminal defendants where Hamrick’s testimony is critical.

Hamrick was arrested on July 24 on a warrant that charges he used his position as a peace officer to convince a female to send him nude or semi-nude photos of herself.

The warrant alleges Hamrick convinced the woman, whose name has been redacted, that she was a confidential informant and that she could have potential criminal charges brought against her. He then allegedly told her he had destroyed her confidential informant file in return for the photos.

Hamrick turned himself in to Pickens County authorities but was released in less than one hour after he paid a $1,000 bond.

The two felony charges against Hamrick are violation of oath of office by a deputy with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and violation of oath of office as deputy commander of the Zell Miller Mountain Parkway Drug Task Force.

In an email to Fetch Your News, Darragh said, “Our office did not learn of any pending charges against Hamrick until after his arrest. We will evaluate all cases in which he had any involvement to determine on an individual basis as to which can be proven without any further involvement from him and would go forward without him. In those cases where his continued involvement would be necessary, we will determine which may be so significant that we must proceed to ensure justice for victims. In other such cases (in which his involvement as a witness would be necessary) we may decide not to go forward at all, again, depending on their significance.”

Fetch Your News will continue to follow this story in an effort to see how many cases may be negatively impacted by Hamrick’s arrest and how many cases may lead the charges being dismissed.

Prior to moving to Pickens County, Hamrick worked in the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Jeff Johnson.

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Dawson County authorities are searching for a suspect who reportedly robbed the Happy Food Mart on Dawson Forest Road at gunpoint Tuesday at approximately 6:34 p.m.

According to the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office incident report, the suspect is described as a white male, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, wearing a heavy winter jacket, blue jeans, a red ballcap and brown boots. He is reported to have been armed with a handgun.

If anyone has any information regarding this report, you are asked to please contact the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office at 706-344-3636.

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Wednesday morning was uneventful for Matt Webb. That is not a bad thing when you are a deputy for the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office. Recent developments have clearly demonstrated that law enforcement officers never know when they may face a life-threatening situation.

Deputy Webb is a very young man, with an important responsibility – protecting the public. Four years ago, he was a senior at White County High School. Soon after graduation, he was hired to work at the Dawson County Detention Center.

Although he is the first in his family to choose law enforcement, he said there was never any doubt about what his career path would be. “I watched a lot of cop shows and thought it would be interesting,” he said. “Plus I really like helping people.”

On Wednesday, he took a member of the Citizens Law Enforcement Academy on a ride along. The Academy is aimed at giving citizens a better understanding of law enforcement and promoting good will between the public and the sheriff’s office. A ride along is an optional part of the Academy.

Like most deputies, Webb works 12-hour shifts. Wednesday started at 6 a.m. with security checks at a number of businesses in Zone 1. No problems found.

That was followed by a drive through one subdivision after another, some of which had seen a rash of auto break-ins recently. That started with a drive through the upscale Chestatee and was followed in succession by Carson’s Creek, Nix Bridge Park, Kilough Forest and Oak Forest.

Webb also checked several churches and all of the parks in Zone 1 and recorded on his in-car computer after each one.

There was an alarm at Dentures and Implants to be checked out but it turned out to be a false alarm, something Webb said happens often.

Then there was a minor fender bender around 9:30 a.m. at Power Center Shopping Center, an SUV backed into a pickup truck. The result was a busted tail light and an embarrassed driver.

But that is how the morning went. Very routine. The Academy member left at noon so it is unclear how the remaining six hours of Deputy Webb’s shift went. Hopefully it was just as routine. After all he has a very important day coming up on Saturday.,,, his wedding day!

Before dropping off his passenger, Webb asked for any advice about his impending marriage and was told, “Do everything she says, when she says do it and you’ll be fine.”

DAWSONVILLE– The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office will host the 2017 Citizen’s Law Enforcement Academy (CLEA) starting on Tuesday, April 11.

The class, which will meet each Tuesday from 6-9 p.m. and continue for six consecutive weeks, is free to Dawson County residents and is designed to help familiarize members of the community with the roles and responsibilities of their law enforcement officers. Participants will have an opportunity to participate in simulated incidents ranging from an officer’s first response to crime scene processing, gain a better understanding of how the court system works as well as the detention center.

To register for the CLEA, please contact Anne Martin at 706-344-3535 or email Anne at [email protected]. for eligibility requirements and registration.

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — A Dawson County accident on Sunday, Feb. 26 turned out to be the least of John Alden Brown’s problems.

Brown, 31, was arrested and charged with giving false information to an officer, obstruction or hindering law a law enforcement officer, driving without a license and violation of tire requirements.

However, he was also arrested on various warrants dating back to May 2016, including battery and aggravated assault on Tamara Leigh Brown. The warrant alleges that Brown struck her on the left cheekbone which resulted in visible swelling and redness. The Aggravated Assault Warrant also details that Brown used his hands to choke Ms. Brown.

Additional warrants charge Brown with providing a false name and date of birth to law enforcement officers, forgery in the first degree, identity fraud and multiple traffic violations.

Brown is currently in the Dawson County Detention Center. Bond has not been set.

DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. — At approximately 9:41 a.m. today, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office 911 Center received a call of a possible dead body on the Appalachian Trail in the area of the Amicalola Falls State Park.  Upon officers’ arrival, a male was found deceased. There were no apparent signs of foul play, however the investigation is still active.

Fetch Your News will have more details as they become available.