A former detention officer was charged with a felony after he allegedly assaulted a 14-year-old at a Cobb County youth detention center, officials said.
Vanderia Britton resigned from his position as assistant director of programs at the Marietta Regional Youth Detention Center (RYDC) in April while under investigation, said Glenn Allen with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. On Monday, Britton was booked into the Cobb jail on a charge of first-degree cruelty to children. He remains there without bond.
“Because he struck the youth, he knew that we would terminate him. That is why he resigned immediately,” Allen told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He didn’t give us the chance to terminate him, he knew that was going to be the end result.”
An arrest warrant obtained Friday accused Britton of striking the incarcerated teenager with a portable radio April 13, causing a cut to the right side of her face.
Britton is also accused of punching the child in the right side of her face with a closed fist and choking the victim until she was on the floor, according to the warrant.
The teen was taken to an emergency center and received four stitches to her face, legal documents stated.
“The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice maintains a zero-tolerance policy for actions like those exhibited by Britton, and we are committed to operating safe and secure facilities,” Allen said.
Peace Officer Standards and Training Council records show that Britton previously worked as a corrections officer at Phillips State Prison in Gwinnett County beginning in September 2016 and voluntarily resigned in February 2017. Records also showed he completed training at the Marietta RYDC last month.
Allen confirmed that prior to Britton’s resignation, he was not working in a POST-certified position at the Marietta RYDC. His job as assistant director of programs made him responsible for implementing “appropriate security and facility policies and procedures,” which included identifying training needs, monitoring security and performing crisis response, according to a job listing.
POST is a state agency that ensures officers in Georgia are “qualified, professionally trained, ethical and competent peace officers and criminal justice professionals.”
— Senior editor Charles Minshew contributed to this article.
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