MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Baldwin County Deputy Joseph Harker will return to work in a position with limited public contact after a review determined he did not use excessive force during an August arrest, according to Sheriff Bill Massee. During a news conference Tuesday, the sheriff addressed the incident, while residents raised questions about the deputy’s use of force and how mental health concerns are handled. Harker was the focus of the news conference following an investigation into a physical altercation during the arrest of Calvin Brown in Milledgeville. Massee says the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia reviewed the incident and determined Harker’s use of force was appropriate. “I’m glad it went to the prosecuting attorneys’ council, because they did an official review of it, and they utilized case law and looked at the rules that people in mandate school and law enforcement are trained to comply with,” Massee said. “And they made a determination that Deputy Sheriff Joseph Harker did not use excessive force, and the standards he used was appropriate.” On August 3, 2026, a man called 911 around 9:49 p.m. to report a trespasser on his property. The caller told authorities a man identified as “Calvin” had previously been trespassed from the property but had returned and was asking bystanders for money. Harker responded to the call. According to the report, Harker said Brown was not complying with his commands, which led to the use of force during…
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