Three Harnett County jailers are off the job and face excessive force charges. ArturVerkhovetskiy / Depositphotos.com
LILLINGTON, N.C. (WPTF) – Three Harnett County detention officers are off the job and facing charges in connection with using excessive force.
At the request of the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office and the Harnett County District Attorney’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) initiated an investigation into allegations of excessive use of force at the Harnett County Detention Center on January 2, 2026. The alleged incidents occurred on Saturday, Dec. 27, and Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025
The SBI, in coordination with the Harnett County District Attorney’s Office, has charged three former detention officers in connection with the incidents.
Adam Russell Isbell, 39, 1 count of assault and battery
Lenora Guerrant Dawson, 60, 1 count of Injury of a prisoner by jailor
Joseph Austin Collins, 28, 1 count of assault and battery
“Detention officers are entrusted with significant responsibility, including the care, custody and supervision of individuals in our detention facility,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a news release. “They are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and respect for human dignity. When those standards are not met, appropriate action is taken.”
This SBI investigation is ongoing.