CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – When George Henderson disappeared from his Clarksville home in early December – in-sub-freezing weather with a TBI Silver Alert issued – loved ones were relieved to hear that the Army veteran had been found. But no one was prepared for the violent way he was located. Bodycam footage shows he was arrested, taken to the ground and punched in the head by a police officer in Guthrie, Kentucky.
“George is an honorable man who sacrificed his health in service to this country, and to see him treated with such horrible indignity at a time of vulnerability is an injustice for which people must be held accountable,” said Henderson’s attorney, Jeremy Stochaj.
Silver Alert for retired Army vet
After 29 years of service and six overseas deployments, Henderson retired from the military, as his resulting head injuries and PTSD from combat began to worsen. Since leaving service in 2018, Henderson has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease that has gradually worsened over time.
On Dec. 6, at around 2 p.m., Henderson, a 61-year-old retired master sergeant, disappeared from his home in Clarksville. Temperatures were dipping below freezing that night, and CPD and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation launched a Silver Alert to help Henderson’s distressed family locate him.
The Silver Alert went out at around 4 p.m. As the sun set and temperatures dropped to 25 degrees, police and family were desperate to find Henderson. Finally, at about 10:16 p.m., Henderson was found wandering around an Exxon gas station over 10 miles away in Guthrie, just over the state line.
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‘You have cocaine on your nose’
According to arrest documents and bodycam footage obtained by Clarksville Now, the gas station attendant saw Henderson getting in the attendant’s car, and the attendant had to “forcibly remove him” from his car before hitting a panic button to alert law enforcement.
Officer J. Pritchett with Guthrie Police Department arrived and approached Henderson inside the gas station. According to the citation, Pritchett said he “could tell something was off.”
“George was incoherent, didn’t know his address, state, how he got there and had on two different shoes,” Pritchett wrote. “While talking to George, I notice his pupils were very constricted and he had a white powder residue in his left nostril.”
As seen in the body camera footage, Pritchett then takes Henderson’s arm and says, “Go ahead and turn around and put your hands behind your back for me. You’ve got cocaine in your nose.”
“That’s a lie,” Henderson responds, resisting Pritchett. The two wrestle for a moment before the officer takes Henderson to the ground. Apparently, Henderson bites Pritchett’s hand. Pritchett frees his arm and, while atop Henderson, who is face-down on the floor, holds Henderson’s head against the floor with his left hand, rears his arm back and punches Henderson on the right side of his head. Pritchett then says, “Let go of my hand, goddamn it!”
The blow renders Henderson unconscious. Henderson remains unconscious for about 30 seconds as Pritchett continues the arrest.
Pritchett stated in his citation that Henderson had grabbed the officer’s arm and bit it.
Henderson suffered a laceration behind his right ear requiring stitches. As Henderson was being treated by EMTs at the scene, Pritchett and other responding officers on the scene were advised by dispatch that Henderson was the subject of a TBI missing person Silver Alert.
“We had no knowledge of Mr. Henderson’s Silver Alert,” Guthrie Police Chief Dean Blumel told Clarksville Now. “It was not dispatched to our dispatch. Based on the information Officer Pritchett had that was available to him, and the circumstances that were presented during the interaction, Officer Pritchett handled the matter consistent with his training and departmental policy.”
Blumel explained that Henderson was incoherent and presented the same indicators as a person under the influence.
Charges against Henderson
The arrest documents do not mention any drugs found at the scene. Despite that and his medical condition, Henderson was charged with five offenses:
- Theft by unlawful taking or disposition contents from vehicle (attempt)
- Public intoxication – controlled substance (excludes alcohol)
- Resisting arrest
- Assault third degree – police officer or probation officer
- Possession of a controlled substance first degree first offense (drug unspecified)
Henderson’s wife, Kimberly, told Clarksville Now she’s grateful for the help she received from Clarksville Police.
“People need to know that Clarksville Police Department, especially Officers Joshua Spain and Jan Salcedo, but others as well, went above and beyond to provide support to our family during this crisis and vigorously searched for George,” she said in the statement shared through their attorney.
“Unfortunately, Guthrie Police Department was across state lines abusing George on a gas station floor. We are deeply upset that the system so miserably failed him in this time of need.”
The last name of CPD Officer Jan Salcedo was misspelled in an earlier version of this report.
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