Three former detention officers at the Harnett County Detention Center are now on the other side of the justice system, arrested after investigators say they assaulted the same inmate twice using pepper spray and physical force. The case grew out of an internal review and a State Bureau of Investigation probe that kicked off in early January, when the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office was first alerted. County officials say the trio were fired at the end of March and now face criminal charges tied to the incidents.
Arrests, charges and bonds
Adam Russell Isbell, Joseph Austin Collins and Lenora Guerrant Dawson were arrested on warrants stemming from the alleged assaults, according to CBS17. Isbell was taken into custody on April 23 and charged with assault and battery, with court records listing a $5,000 unsecured bond. Collins was arrested May 1 and released on a $2,000 secured bond after a May 4 court appearance. Dawson was arrested May 4 and released the same day on a $3,500 unsecured bond, the outlet reports.
What happened inside the jail
The alleged violence unfolded over two days inside the Harnett County jail late last year, according to a sheriff’s office news release cited by WRAL. The incidents are said to have occurred on Dec. 27 and Dec. 30, 2025. Warrants accuse Isbell of going into an inmate’s cell on Dec. 27, pepper‑spraying him and repeatedly punching him in the face. Collins is accused of striking the same inmate in the head and face with a can of pepper spray in the jail’s decontamination room on Dec. 30. Dawson, the on‑duty supervisor during that second incident, is charged with allowing the inmate to be injured while she was supervising the area.
County response
"Detention officers are entrusted with significant responsibility, including the care, custody and supervision of individuals in our detention facility," the sheriff's office stated in a news release, as reported by WRAL. After learning of the allegations, Sheriff Wayne Coats notified the district attorney’s office and requested an independent investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation, according to the release. The three officers were placed on administrative leave during the internal and outside reviews and were fired on March 30, county officials said.
Statewide context
The Harnett County arrests land amid a broader wave of scrutiny on North Carolina jails, with the SBI probing multiple use‑of‑force cases around the state. In March, the SBI arrested two Rockingham County detention officers after an inmate there was seriously injured, according to Yahoo News. The pattern has put detention practices under a brighter spotlight and raised fresh questions about how inmates are monitored and disciplined behind bars.
Legal charges and next steps
Isbell is charged with assault and battery and is scheduled for a first Harnett County court appearance on May 11. Collins faces a misdemeanor assault and battery charge and already made his first appearance on May 4. Dawson is charged with injury to a prisoner by a jailer and is set to appear in court on May 20, according to CBS17. The NCSBI investigation is still underway, and county officials say any additional action will depend on what state agents uncover. Defense attorneys for the three former officers did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the outlet reports.
For now, the case closes the book on the internal personnel side but opens a new chapter in court. As hearings unfold, residents and legal watchers will be looking for more details on what exactly happened in those final days of December. Investigators have asked anyone with information to contact the NCSBI or the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office while the probe continues.
