Inset: Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputy Martin Simmons (HCSO). Background: The Flowery Branch, Georgia, apartment complex on Harwood Road where Simmons allegedly assaulted a 4-year-old (Google Maps).
A Hall County, Georgia, sheriff’s deputy allegedly struck a 4-year-old boy with such force that children in another room reportedly heard the impact after the child resisted going to bed.
Martin Simmons, 46, has been accused of family violence battery and cruelty to a child.
The investigation began when the Oakwood Police Department received a child abuse referral from the Department of Family and Child Services.
The alleged incident took place Sept. 9 inside an apartment on Harwood Road in Flowery Branch, roughly 40 miles northeast of Atlanta, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime. The complaint states that people elsewhere in the home heard Simmons striking the child “through the walls.” When another adult attempted to enter the bedroom, Simmons allegedly blocked her way, police wrote.
According to the affidavit, one child opened the bedroom door, prompting Simmons to yell at her. The adult then positioned herself between Simmons and the other children.
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Simmons was reportedly trying to settle the 4-year-old for the night when the boy began crying because he did not want to sleep, police told AccessNorthGa.com. Those inside the apartment allegedly heard the slap despite the bedroom door being closed.
Police said the blow left a “significant mark” resembling a handprint on the child’s face. Bruising was visible the following day, authorities said.
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office terminated Simmons on Oct. 14, following the issuance of an arrest warrant. He had recently been promoted to investigator and was still undergoing training for the position when he was dismissed.
Simmons began working for the agency as a jailer in July 2023. About a year later, he completed the police academy and transferred to the patrol division.
After his arrest, Simmons was booked into the Hall County Jail and later released on bond. Court records did not list his next hearing date.
The report that a Georgia deputy allegedly slapped a 4-year-old hard enough for children on the other side of a wall to hear—and left a “significant” mark on the boy’s face after he refused to sleep—was first published by Law & Crime.