Former Georgia Drug Task Force Agent Arrested for Aggravated Battery, Violation of Oath of Office

A former agent with the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force, Chris Wooten, has been arrested and charged with Aggravated Battery (Felony) and Violation of Oath of Office (Felony) following an investigation into alleged excessive force used during an arrest on June 4, 2025. The investigation was initiated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) at the request of Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader.

According to Sheriff Schrader, on Wednesday, June 4, at approximately 1:00 p.m., two Drug Task Force agents attempted to stop a motorcycle north of Trion near Ridgeway Road. The motorcycle refused to stop, leading to a pursuit that ended off Wade Drive. Chattooga County deputies, who were en route to assist, arrived after the motorcycle was stopped and agents were attempting to arrest the driver.

The first deputy on scene assisted in restraining the driver. Both deputies later reported to supervisors that they witnessed what they believed to be excessive force used by one of the Drug Task Force agents after the suspect was in handcuffs.

After speaking with his deputies, reviewing their reports, gathering other information, and consulting with the agent’s employer, Sheriff Schrader contacted the GBI Region One Office in Calhoun and requested an investigation into the incident.

On Wednesday, June 18, GBI agents secured an arrest warrant for Chris Wooten, who was formerly employed by the Trion Police Department and previously attached to the LMJC Drug Task Force. Wooten was booked into the Chattooga County Jail on the same day and subsequently released on a $20,000 bond issued by the Superior Court.

Sheriff Schrader emphasized the strict standards for law enforcement: “Law Enforcement officers are required to use force in the performance of their sworn duties. Typically, the use of physical force is the last option used to arrest an individual. Law Enforcement officers are trained to use only the reasonable amount of force necessary to effectuate an arrest. The public places trust in law enforcement to hold to these standards. The issues concerning this incident are outside of those standards, intolerable and should never happen.”

Sheriff Schrader thanked his deputies for reporting what they saw and acknowledged the cooperation of Trion Police Chief David Gilleland and the Commander and Deputy Commander of the Drug Task Force for their role in ensuring the situation was handled appropriately.