Georgia – Houston County deputy brutality claims sparked outrage in Middle Georgia after an Atlanta mother said deputies brutalized her son during a traffic stop on Interstate 75. Now, those Houston County deputy brutality claims have ended with convictions after a jury reviewed body and dash camera evidence and found the allegations were false.
According to WGXA reporting, Juana Shantail Ash, 42, and her son, Omar Wright, now 22, were found guilty of a felony-grade charge of making a false statement. Wright was also convicted of a misdemeanor for obstructing officers. Both were sentenced to three years on probation and two days in the Houston County Jail.
The case stems from a March 8, 2025, traffic stop on I-75 in Houston County, Georgia. Deputies stopped a pickup truck for traveling under the speed limit in the far left lane, which authorities described as impeding traffic. The Houston County Sheriff at the time said a deputy immediately smelled marijuana when making contact with the driver.
The police brutality claims emerged after a struggle occurred during the stop. The district attorney said the conflict escalated when Wright refused lawful commands to exit the vehicle.
What the mother alleged
Ash said she was on FaceTime with her son during the encounter and claimed deputies used excessive force, used profanity, drew weapons, and repeatedly tased Wright, including while he was handcuffed and unconscious. She also alleged deputies refused medical aid and emphasized her son’s medical issues.
Those statements became central to the prosecution because investigators later argued the Houston County deputy brutality claims were contradicted by body camera and dash camera video presented at trial.
What body camera video showed
After deputies decided to detain the occupants and search the vehicle, the driver and a backseat passenger were removed, handcuffed, and directed to sit on the bumper of a patrol vehicle. Meanwhile, Wright remained in the passenger seat on FaceTime with the door locked and window up, ignoring repeated requests to unlock the car.
After the driver’s door was opened and Wright was ordered out, deputies attempted to take control of his wrists and told him to drop the phone. The video described in the report includes a deputy warning Wright he would be tased, followed by a taser deployment as deputies tried to push him into position for handcuffing.
The report says deputies then moved Wright toward the grassy shoulder, and he was taken to the ground and handcuffed. The district attorney stated the taser was used to force compliance because the altercation was happening close to moving interstate traffic.
Wright appeared to go unconscious, and deputies adjusted his position so he could breathe while a cousin mentioned a heart-related medical history. An ambulance was called, and responders later checked Wright at the scene.
The sheriff previously claimed Wright faked a medical emergency, and WGXA says the body camera footage appears to show a deputy telling Wright he believed he was pretending before Wright eventually woke up.
Wright was searched, advised of his rights, and placed in a patrol vehicle. Deputies seized less than an ounce of suspected marijuana, and Wright was taken to jail on charges that included possession of marijuana and misdemeanor obstruction counts, according to the report.
After further investigation into the Houston County deputy brutality claims, Ash and Wright were charged with making false statements. The district attorney said a Houston County jury reviewed the footage and found the allegations to be false.
The report also states the district attorney criticized the pair for allegedly misleading the local NAACP chapter and for using media attention to amplify what he called false allegations.
