Georgia sheriff’s deputy resigns after calling Ahmaud Arbery a ‘criminal’ who ‘got the death penalty’

A Georgia sheriff’s deputy has resigned from his position following a suspension regarding comments he made about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.

Former Houston County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Urhahn wrote in his letter of resignation that he was simply exercising his right to free speech in calling Arbery a “criminal” who “got the death penalty.” 

Urhahn’s letter also attributed his resignation to the department’s handling of the incident. “I want you to know I have appreciated the opportunity to serve as a Deputy Sheriff for Houston County for the past 20 years, a position I have held with Honor, Integrity, and Dedication,” Urhahn wrote in the letter.

“However, as you are aware, during my off-duty time while exercising my Constitutional rights to Free Speech, a very unfortunate series of events occurred, and the manner in which they were handled, is something I cannot support.” 

Urhahn’s remarks had been made in the comment section of WGXA-TV’s Facebook page following Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan being sentenced to life in prison earlier this month. Though the comment was later deleted, screenshots were shared with several news outlets as well as with the sheriff’s office.

Urhan said that after “deep consideration” he made the decision that he could not “continue as a member of this team and organization.” He added, “To continue to do so would be against who I am and what I believe in.”

His resignation took effect on Wednesday. The sheriff’s office conducted an internal investigation after it was notified of Urhahn’s comments on the Facebook page. He was found to be in violation of departmental policy and was suspended pending termination.

“Per Sheriff’s Office policy, 10 days are given to appeal this decision. Paul Urhahn chose not to appeal the decision and has resigned,” the sheriff’s office reported in a Wednesday Facebook statement.