MACON, Ga. — A sheriff in Georgia has dismissed a deputy following an investigation that revealed the deputy had lied about a fellow jailer committing a crime. This decision came more than a year after the district attorney brought concerns to the sheriff’s office regarding the deputy’s credibility. The deputy, Nicholas Denny, was terminated on October 15, according to local media reports. The timing of this dismissal has gained attention since the man Denny testified against, Kendrell Daniely, is now suing both the sheriff’s office and Denny for alleged violations of his civil rights.
Denny had previously issued warrants and provided testimony indicating that Daniely, who worked as a jailer for the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, supplied a firearm to an inmate, who is reportedly his brother. Both men are said to have ties to a faction of the Crips gang. In April 2023, Daniely was arrested for allegedly abusing his position and participating in gang activities. However, in October of this year, the district attorney, Anita Howard, dropped all charges against him after determining that Denny had not been truthful. Because of this finding, Howard has stated she will no longer pursue any cases that rely solely on evidence or testimonies provided by Denny due to his lack of credibility.
Legal representatives for Denny in the ongoing civil litigation have not commented on the situation when approached for feedback. Denny has maintained that he has done nothing wrong, as indicated in court documents. In the letter notifying Denny of his termination, Sheriff David Davis pointed out significant inconsistencies between Denny’s grand jury testimony and recorded interviews conducted with Daniely.
The termination letter explicitly describes these inconsistencies as indicative of either a deliberate or careless misrepresentation of facts. According to Daniely, Denny orchestrated his arrest while he was in training at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, as he aimed to become an officer with Henry County. Following the incident, Henry County swiftly terminated Daniely’s employment.
Sheriff Davis commented on the situation in Denny’s termination letter, emphasizing that the circumstances surrounding Daniely’s arrest demonstrated “a degree of malice not appropriate to law enforcement.” Howard expressed uncertainty as to why it took Sheriff Davis an entire year to remove Denny from his position. She stated that Davis and his team had access to enough information to make a decisive disciplinary action without pending investigations.
In contrast, Sheriff Davis explained that he only began to seriously consider Denny’s termination in August 2024 after reviewing the investigation’s findings and documents. He mentioned the involvement of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) in the matter.
Davis clarified that Denny had been serving in a “modified role” for the past year and was barred from taking the lead on any criminal investigations during that time. The GBI is still contemplating whether or not to press criminal charges against Denny, and Howard has taken additional steps by reporting the deputy to the state agency responsible for certifying law enforcement officers.
