Corporal Amanda Donald, a Richmond County Sheriff’s Office deputy, has resigned after being demoted in the wake of a February use-of-force investigation. Records show she was moved off road patrol and reassigned to jail duty but was allowed to keep her badge, a personnel shuffle that has intensified public scrutiny of how the sheriff’s office handles force complaints. Newly obtained records and previously unreleased video highlighted in recent reporting have pulled earlier incidents involving deputies back into the spotlight.
Inside the February Use-of-Force Review
According to internal investigative documents, the Feb. 9 incident started when Donald opened the rear door of a patrol car in an attempt to stop a suspect from kicking out a window. The report states the suspect kicked her hand, causing her flashlight to hit her chin. Investigators wrote that Donald then struck the suspect in the face several times until other deputies stepped in.
The internal review concluded that even if Donald’s initial use of force was justified, the continued blows became unnecessary under department policy. The related criminal case is still open, and body-worn camera footage from the encounter has not been released, according to reporting from WRDW.
Earlier Bodycam Footage and a Federal Court Record
Separate body-worn camera footage from a 2021 call, obtained by reporters, shows Donald striking a handcuffed man. That episode led to a letter of reprimand, an online training requirement and a written report at the time.
Federal court filings examining the sheriff’s office disciplinary history point to that 2021 incident, along with other alleged use-of-force cases, as examples of what plaintiffs say is inconsistent discipline inside the agency. Those allegations and internal references are detailed in records filed with the court, available through Justia.
Where Last Year’s Shooting Fits In
Donald was also part of an October 2025 Washington Road shooting in which deputies and a suspect exchanged gunfire. Authorities later cleared her in that officer-involved shooting. A fellow deputy was injured, and the incident drew an independent regional force-team review, underscoring both the dangers deputies face on patrol and the separate discipline questions raised by other use-of-force cases…