Former Fulton County jailer pleads guilty over 2018 death of inmate, sentenced to probation

A former jailer with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office has been banned from ever working in law enforcement again after pleading guilty to charges in connection with the 2018 death of an inmate.

In court on Monday, Arron Cook pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and violation of his oath as a public officer in the death of Antonio May.

Cook was one of six former employees of the Fulton County Jail who faced murder charges in connection with May's death. 

Authorities say May was booked into the Fulton County Jail in 2018 on a misdemeanor trespassing charge and died while in custody. May's family had accused the jailers of using Tasers, pepper spray, and restraints on the inmate. 

A Fulton County judge quashed the indictments against the jailers in 2022, saying the state didn't follow Georgia law that gives "peace officers" the chance to speak before a grand jury. That ruling was reversed by the Georgia Supreme Court a year later, who found that the "the defendants' duty to control and supervise inmates within the jail" did not fit the definition of "a duty to maintain the public peace."

Under the Georgia First Offender Act, Cook was sentenced to five years on probation and must complete 100 hours of community service within his first year of probation. The probation may be suspended early after two years if all conditions are met.

Along with the ban from working in law enforcement, Cook is also not allowed to work in detention or private security.