ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — A south Georgia man and his family are demanding answers about how Dougherty County police officers handled his arrest following a serious car accident in Albany.

Robert Doctrie was involved in a crash on September 24, 2025.

His mother, Juanita Williams, said Doctrie was working when he told her another vehicle hit his truck, causing it to strike a guardrail and overturn.

Doctrie said he was concerned about having to pay for an ambulance ride to the hospital after the accident.

“I couldn’t even afford to pay for the ride from the ambulance to the hospital,” he said. “Which is a large reason of why I got out of the ambulance initially.”

Williams said her son wanted to go to the hospital with his family, but by the time she arrived, she said, Dougherty County police officers were handcuffing him and preparing to take him to jail.

The family says Doctrie was cited for improper passing.

The crash report and the outcome of the citation were not available for this story. However, Williams said her son told her he was not at fault.

“And I pleaded with them to please take my son to the hospital. He indicates that he is hurt,” Williams said.

Williams said officers told her Doctrie had refused medical care and would be taken to jail first, where he could be assessed. She disputes that he was refusing care, saying he wanted his family to take him to the hospital.

She also said officers told her he was accused of headbutting an officer, an accusation she said her son denies.

The family says officers sought an obstruction charge. The status of that charge has not been independently confirmed.

Family alleges mistreatment after arrest

Williams alleges Doctrie was beaten after being taken to jail and again before entering the hospital. She said she heard his cries on jail video but did not see the full physical encounter.

Doctrie separately alleged that officers handled him roughly as he was moved from a vehicle at the jail and the hospital.

He said his hands were cuffed behind his back and that officers lifted his arms by the handcuffs before taking him into the hospital in a wheelchair. He said some of what he described could not be seen on the body camera footage he had shared.

Williams said her son has since undergone several surgeries involving his arm, hand and wrist, and that he has had difficulty doing his manual work. The cause of his injuries has not been independently established.

“I’m hoping that my son will be able to move past this,” Williams said. “And I hope that he can get back on the road that he was on.”

Family requests internal investigation

In the first week of October 2025, Robert’s family sent a letter to Dougherty County Police Chief K. Johnson requesting an Internal Affairs investigation.

The complaint questioned the deputy’s handling of the initial crash investigation, the decision to pursue an obstruction charge and the treatment Robert received following the accident.

Doctrie disputes the charges he says are being held against him and wants them dropped.

He said he has a ticket but has not had an opportunity to go to court to contest it.

He also said the incident has affected his family and his work.

“It doesn’t just affect that one individual,” Doctrie said. “It affects their children. It affects their mother. It affects everyone. It affects the community.”

WALB has not independently confirmed the status of the ticket or any criminal charge.

Police response pending

The family says it sent a letter to the Dougherty County police chief in early October 2025 requesting an internal investigation. Williams said the family has not received answers about whether the matter was investigated.

A Dougherty County Police Department spokesperson said they had reached out to the police chief, were waiting for a response and would also consult with legal. The department has not yet provided an account of the encounter or answered the family’s allegations.

The incident report, the status of the alleged obstruction charge and the outcome of the family’s complaint remain outstanding.

This story will be updated with additional information and the department’s response.

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