Columbus lightening rod Chris Breault was briefly detained by law enforcement after being charged with a single count of cruelty to children-1st degree (family violence). According to jail records Breault was booked into the Muscogee County Jail at 3:19 pm September 24, 2026, and released on bond about two and half hours later.
Details about what exactly prompted the felony charge are not readily available to the public though records indicate the offense date occurred August 19, 2026. NowGeorgia.com reached out to Breault for the backstory leading up to his arrest but he declined to comment. As unconfirmed narratives circulated online stating a physical altercation occurred involving Breault, the local attorney and former mayoral candidate didn’t waste any time responding to accusations on social media. “Don’t believe everything you read,” Breault shared in one post.
Breault ran his campaign for mayor by routinely taking on the establishment. He garnered thousands of votes during the May election ultimately forcing a runoff between the top two candidates. Members of law enforcement were in such a hurry to make the felony charge public they tipped off the media to Breault’s arrest while he was still being processed. By contrast, the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office which shares mugshots via a public information system has not published Breault’s mugshot after Thursday’s arrest. NowGeorgia.com was advised to submit a formal open records request in order to receive a copy of the mugshot. This report will be updated accordingly once the mugshot is received…