A former Union County deputy, Ashton Cole Lambert, has been indicted after a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation review of a use-of-force incident. The investigation began in April 2025 at the request of District Attorney General Jared Effler, following an alleged use of excessive force during an arrest in Maynardville on April 10, 2025.
Lambert was fired from the Union County Sheriff’s Office after the allegations. On December 2, 2025, a grand jury indicted him on charges of assault and official oppression. He surrendered to authorities on December 11 and was released on a $2,500 bond. Lambert is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court…