CAMDEN COUNTY, Fla. – The indictment against a Camden County sergeant, which was released Friday, details four different times when he is accused of using excessive force during arrests and submitting written reports that didn’t tell the full story.
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Sgt. Buck William Aldridge, 42, has been indicted on 13 counts involving deprivation of constitutional rights and falsification of records related to multiple incidents of alleged excessive force and misconduct, according to the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia.
The indictment mentions four arrests that happened between 2021 and 2023.
On Jan. 6, 2021, the Department of Justice said Aldridge used a Taser and kicked a victim without legal justification. In his report detailing the arrest, Aldridge did not mention the fact that he kicked the victim and falsely stated that they failed to comply with verbal commands before Aldridge used his Taser, according to the indictment.
A few months later, on Aug. 31, Aldridge was accused of using his Taser on another victim while they were handcuffed and then using the pistol grip of his Taser on the victim’s neck, a fact not noted in his report, which resulted in injury. In his report about the incident, Aldridge also wrote that the victim “began running away” when in fact they did not run, according to the indictment. Aldridge also wrote that he tried to use physical force to stop the victim before using his Taser, but that wasn’t true, according to investigators.
Then in June 2022, Aldridge was accused of repeatedly using his Taser on another victim after they had stopped resisting arrest, which resulted in injury. A report written by Aldridge about that arrest was “false and misleading” and omitted the fact that he punched the victim in the face, according to the indictment.
VIDEO | GBI investigating 2022 traffic stop arrest involving deputy who shot exonerated Florida man
The 2022 incident appears to reference a traffic stop in Camden County that News4JAX reported on.
On June 24, Aldridge tried to pull over two cars that were holding up traffic, going 63 in a 70, before a high-speed chase started. For 16 miles, he chased them. The drivers topped speeds over 120 mph and weaved through traffic. Then one of the cars crashed.
Body camera video showed that Aldridge opened the passenger side door with his gun drawn as the suspect tried to say something to him.
“Get out! Get out!” Aldridge yelled.
The deputy then put his gun away and punched the suspect in the head as he yelled, “Shut the f*** up!”
Deputies struggled to get the driver in handcuffs and in the report, they said “he continued to physically resist...pulling his hands away from up and trying to get back to his feet.”
Then, 36 seconds later, another deputy and Aldridge pulled out their Tasers.
They shocked him and he screamed, and they said again to put his hands behind his back.
The driver remained on his stomach and a deputy brought out his K9, which then bit the driver’s right arm.
The driver tried to push the dog’s face off him, then a deputy punched the suspect in the face as Aldridge pointed his Taser.
Deputy Aldridge then shocked him again. The driver then sat up, despite commands to roll over, and Aldridge shocked him again.
The man was arrested and accused of fleeing, reckless driving, trafficking in illegal drugs and possession. No gun was found.
In another incident that happened on Aug. 26, 2023, the Justice Department said Aldridge hit a juvenile victim in the back of the head with a Taser and caused an injury, but failed to include that in his report.
A few months after that, Aldridge was thrust into the national spotlight when he was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation after he fatally shot Leonard Allen Cure, a 53-year-old man who spent more than 16 years imprisoned in Florida on a wrongful conviction, during a traffic stop.
According to the GBI, Cure was pulled over on Interstate 95 North, just south of mile marker 9 in Camden County, for reckless driving and speeding.
Aldridge instructed Cure to get out of the car, and according to GBI, he complied until he learned that he was under arrest. That’s when Cure began to fight back, and the deputy used his Taser, GBI said.
The GBI also reported that Cure started assaulting the deputy, so the deputy used his Taser on him for a second time and his baton to gain control of Cure.
Cure still would not comply, according to GBI, so Aldridge pulled out his gun and shot him. Emergency paramedics treated Cure, but he died.
Cure’s death sparked national outrage following the release of the dash camera video showing the incident, as well as reports that Aldridge was fired from a different Georgia police department in 2017 after throwing a woman to the ground during a traffic stop and handcuffing her.
Cure’s deadly traffic stop is not included in Aldridge’s federal indictment. However, Cure’s family and attorneys said in a news conference on Friday that they believe Cure’s death was a “driving force” in Aldridge’s federal case.
Renowned civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels said while they are celebrating the deputy’s charges, and they won’t stop until they get “full justice” for Cure.
“We don’t want to let them sweep it under the rug,” Crump said.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Aldridge faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each federal civil rights violation included in the new indictment, and 20 years in prison for each false report.
“Law enforcement officers are entrusted with the authority to uphold the law — not to break it. When that trust is violated, the FBI will act. No badge puts anyone above the Constitution,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “We remain committed to investigating civil rights violations and holding accountable those who abuse their power.”
In a statement, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office said Aldridge has been “relieved of his duties” with the agency.
“The Camden County Sheriff’s Office is committed to transparency and accountability at every level. Our duty is to serve the citizens of Camden County with integrity and professionalism,” Sheriff Kevin Chaney said.
News4JAX spoke with NAACP President Timothy Bessent Sr. on Thursday, who said it’s concerning to have a deputy indicted on these charges, but he’s glad the system has worked in this particular case.
“Some justice has finally come for the families that have suffered at the hand of Mr. Aldridge having their civil rights violated through excessive force,” Bessent said. “I believe this particular case does speak to the climate of what’s been in our nation, in our community, but I believe that I can say that the climate has begun to change here in Camden County.”
If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.