Richmond County deputy on paid leave after striking another deputy in head

Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020

AUGUSTA, Ga (WRDW/WAGT) -- A source inside the Richmond County Sheriff's Office says a Field Training Officer is "suspended with pay" after striking another deputy in the back of the head Friday night.

That source tells us Deputy Nicholas Nunes was performing CPR at the Circle K gas station on Peach Orchard Road. The source says Deputy Brandon Keathley, a Field Training Officer, struck Deputy Nunes after Nunes would not allow a trainee to take over CPR.

We're told the blow drew blood, and Nunes was transported to the hospital.

News 12 has reached out to the Richmond County Sheriff's Office several times to ask for confirmation of this incident.

Their response to our questions were: "We are conducting an Internal Affairs investigation into the incident and have nothing further to report at this time."

An inside source tells us Deputy Keathley is listed as SWP (suspended with pay), and Deputy Nunes is listed as being out on workman's comp. The Richmond County Sheriff's Office told us they could not confirm any of this.

Richmond County Dispatch told News 12 that Deputy Keathley was not on-duty Sunday evening, but that "even if he was, [they] couldn't patch [us] through to him."

News 12 is continuing to investigate this incident. We will update with more details as we learn them.