Federal Charges Dismissed Against Two Lawrence County Deputies

A federal judge has dismissed all charges against two Lawrence County Sheriff’s deputies, according to NewsChannel 5. Deputies Zach Ferguson and Eric Caperton had faced civil rights and obstruction charges stemming from a 2020 drug-related traffic stop near the Lawrence-Giles County line. Their trial was delayed five times before federal prosecutors asked Judge Eli Richardson to dismiss the case, a request the judge granted last week. The case involved the arrest of 61-year-old Mike Jones, who was injured during the encounter and later hospitalized. Court records show the deputies photographed Jones after the arrest and sent the images to a deputy district attorney, who advised them to delete the photos. That prosecutor was later dismissed from the district attorney’s office. All charges against Jones were dropped following the incident. Ferguson and Caperton have been on administrative leave since the federal charges were filed. The court’s decision applies only to the federal charges and does not affect potential state charges. District Attorney Brent Cooper of the 22nd Judicial District said his office has not been given an explanation for the dismissal.