Washington County jury clears 3 former deputies in 2017 death of Eurie Martin
The verdict ends an eight-year legal battle involving the 2017 in-custody death of Eurie Lee Martin on Deepstep Road.
SANDERSVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Washington County jury has found three former deputies not guilty on all major charges in the 2017 in-custody death of Eurie Lee Martin.
The verdict clears Henry Copeland, Michael Howell and Rhett Scott of the charges that have followed them for more than eight years. On Thursday, jurors found:
• Henry Copeland not guilty of murder and not guilty of aggravated assault
• Michael Howell not guilty of murder and not guilty of aggravated assault
• Rhett Scott not guilty of murder, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and reckless conduct
The case began on July 7, 2017. 41NBC reported at the time that deputies encountered Martin on Deepstep Road after a caller reported a suspicious person asking for water. Martin, a Milledgeville man walking through the area, was tased multiple times during an attempted arrest and died at the scene. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation the same day. The deputies were fired in October of 2017.
Over the years, the case moved through several major legal turns. In 2017, District Attorney Hayward Altman sought felony murder, involuntary manslaughter, false imprisonment, aggravated assault and related charges against all three deputies. A Washington County grand jury indicted them later that year.
In 2019, a Superior Court judge granted the deputies immunity under Georgia’s self-defense and use-of-force laws. In 2020, the Georgia Supreme Court reversed that decision, ruling the evidence did not support immunity and sending the case back to be reconsidered.
A first trial in 2021 ended in a mistrial, and the case was later reassigned after prosecutors sought outside assistance.
Family members of Eurie Martin have long maintained a public push for accountability. The case has also drawn attention from civil rights groups, local leaders and statewide organizations.
