Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy States His Badge Allows Him to “Do Anything He Wants”
This post was shared with the CopBlock Network by Jamie Braden, via the CopBlock.org Submissions Page. Within the post, Braden discusses a conversation he says he had while working as a Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy with another deputy. Braden states that during that conversation the other deputy stated that his badge would allow him to “do anything you want to do.”
Part of that discussion also involved the mention of a previous case of excessive force at the Hamilton County Jail, which that other deputy, Andrew Standifer was involved in. In 2011, there in fact was an incident where Deputy Standifer and another deputy, named Daniel Harden were disciplined for excessive use of force against a drunk man in a cell at the Hamilton County Jail.
Date of Interaction: June 2012
Department Involved: Hamilton County (TN) Sheriff’s Dept.
Officer Involved: Deputy Andrew Standifer
Department Phone No.: (423) 209-7090
I worked as a sheriff’s deputy for Hamilton County, TN. In my training, I worked with another deputy by the name of Andrew Standifer. The first time I worked with him we were talking about something, I do not remember what it was, and I said, “I wonder if I can do (whatever it was we were talking about).” He stood up from where he was sitting and walked over to me.
He said, “What is that on your shirt?”
I looked down because I thought I had something on my shirt. I asked him, “What?” because I didn’t see anything.
He said, “That badge – with that badge you can do anything you want to do.”
I nearly fainted! Had he really said what he just said? YES!
As if that was not enough, he proceeded to laughingly tell me he was on YouTube from where he and another officer were in an altercation with an allegedly drunk man in a cell. They got in trouble, a one day suspension to be specific. What that tells them is, if you want a day off, rough someone up.
That was not the only time there was violence against detainees in his history. He started seeing a new officer that came in in my class. They put them together on the disciplinary floor even though she had not worked the floors often, she worked in central control. Standifer wanted to show off in front of her.
According to the video, he engaged in a physical confrontation with a detainee but was not able to physically overpower him, so of course he called for back up. The inmate ended up getting tased (while he was handcuffed), all over the detainee asking for a toothbrush.
Andrew Standifer is still employed as a sheriff’s deputy with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department in Tennessee. If you ever go to Chattanooga, Tennessee and get put in jail, watch out. He’s a short little man that hides behind his badge. Remember, if he can’t whip your ass… he will call his buddies to come help him.
– Jamie Braden
