Warrants filed against a K9 handler and dog trainer arrested by the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office shed more light on why the K9 deputy is facing animal cruelty charges.
James Michael Duncan was arrested on January 27 on eight counts of misdemeanor Cruelty to Animals. Duncan’s arrest was not connected to his employment at the Candler County Sheriff’s Office, but a review of his POST file indicates this was not his first run-in with the law.
Misdemeanor Animal Cruelty vs. Felony Animal Cruelty
Under Georgia law, animal cruelty is defined as
- Causing physical pain, suffering, or death to an animal by any unjustifiable act or omission OR
- Failing to provide adequate food, water, sanitary conditions, or ventilation as a reasonable person of ordinary knowledge would believe is the normal requirement for the animal’s size, species, breed, age, or physical condition. This must occur when a person has custody/control/possession/ownership of the animal.
Animal cruelty is a misdemeanor so long as they do not have any prior convictions of animal cruelty or aggravated animal cruelty. The offense is punishable by up to 12 months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine, with subsequent convictions rising to the level of a high and aggravated misdemeanor.
Animal cruelty becomes a felony if a person maliciously causes the death of an animal, maliciously causes harm to the extent that the animal is dismembered or has a body part rendered useless, maliciously tortures an animal and subjects them to prolonged or severe pain, a person poisons an animal with malice, or when a person withholds food, water, sanitary conditions and the like and it also results in the death or serious disfiguration of the animal. The felony offense is punishable by one to five years in prison and up to $15,000 in fines.
Warrants Filed Against Duncan
Each of the warrants outline that Duncan was in control of the animals at the time of the offense – listed as January 22, 2026 – at a home in the Iron Gate subdivision. Public records indicate the home is not owned by Duncan.
The warrants also state that Duncan deprived the animals of adequate food, water, sanitary conditions, or ventilation, as outlined in the misdemeanor code section – OCGA 16-12-4(b).
Each warrant lists a separate animal located during the investigation, including one German Shepherd mix, a Rottweiler mix, three German Shepherds, and three Plott Hounds. Each of the animals were removed from the premises by the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office and/or Bulloch County Animal Control.
Duncan was booked into the Bulloch County Jail and released the same day on $10,000 bond, as is standard with misdemeanor offenses.
The case will be adjudicated in Bulloch County State Court and Duncan’s scheduled to appear in court in mid-March. As of publishing, Duncan had no listed attorney.
The charges stem from Duncan’s private venture and not his work with the Candler County Sheriff’s Office.
Since 2019, Duncan has operated a private dog training company – Southern Edge K9 – which operated out of a different property in Bulloch County. Records with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office show 2024 as the last year the company was registered with the state before it was administratively dissolved. Until 2024, the business listed Duncan as the CEO and Joey Coty as the business CFO. In 2024, Coty was removed from the business filings.
The Google business listing now shows the business as ‘permanently closed.’ All social media accounts with Southern Edge K9 were deleted shortly before Duncan’s arrest, though tags of the business page on Facebook and social media remain and show his tenure of work in various counties.
Terminations and POST Disciplinary Action
According to records from the Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training Council (POST), Duncan obtained his POST certification in 2000 and has worked in law enforcement off and on since that time. He’s been employed by the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, the Millen Police Department in Jenkins County, the Wadley Police Department in Jefferson County, the Evans County Sheriff’s Office, the Screven County Sheriff’s Office, and, most recently, the Candler County Sheriff’s Office.
Resigned in Lieu of Termination from the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office
POST records show Duncan worked for the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office from 2001 to 2003.
After a 22 month hiatus, Duncan was hired by the Millen Police Department where he worked for four months until he was hired by the Wadley Police Department in April 2005. Duncan was employed with Wadley for ten months.
Terminated from the Evans County Sheriff’s Office
Duncan worked for ECSO from February 2006 until November 2007.
According to POST investigation paperwork, Duncan was arrested by the Georgia State Patrol on the morning of October 2007 after he failed to negotiate a curve, overcorrected his vehicle, left the roadway, and drove into a ditch. The arresting officer cited an odor of alcohol, noted that Duncan was unaware of which road he was on, and asked to be taken home by other officers on scene. His arrest prompted his termination from ECSO.
Terminated from Tri-Circuit Drug Task Force
At the time he was arrested, Duncan was also assigned to a drug task force. 19 days after he was arrested, the commander of that task force was notified that a landlord of Duncans “reported finding damage as well as blue lights, firearms, ammunition, and documents in an apartment which was previously occupied by [Duncan]. [Duncan] had not paid rent in about six months. Property found in the apartment included what appeared to be evidence seized for drug cases that was not properly documented or inventoried. [Duncan] stated the weapons, ammunition, and blue lights belonged to him. He said he had been unable to connect the evidence (straws) to the person listed on the evidence receipt and took the items home intending to destroy them, but never did. When tested, two of the straws showed the presence of cocaine.”
Duncan was terminated from the task force on November 30.
POST also noted that Duncan had failed to complete the required training in calendar year 2007.
In February 2008, Duncan entered a plea of Nolo Contendre in Bulloch County State Court to the DUI charge and received 12 months probation, a $650 fine, 40 hours of community service, and a risk reduction course.
Terminated from the Screven County Sheriff’s Office
Duncan was out of law enforcement for eight months before he was hired by SCSO. His POST record indicates he was hired in July 2008, but his personnel file from the Screven County Sheriff’s Office says he was hired in October 2009. Both dates, however, fall in the period during which Duncan was on probationary status with POST.
In July 2008, POST issued a public reprimand of Duncan and placed him on probation for 24 months for failing to report an arrest and for his DUI arrest. He was ordered to complete a GA DDS DUI Alcohol/Drug Use Risk Reduction program at his own expense and submit proof of completion within six months. The probationary status was lifted in September 2010, according to POST records.
On April 15, 2011, Then-Sheriff Mike Kile moved Duncan from the Investigations Division to the Jail Division following “numerous citizen complaints of [Duncan’s] inappropriate associations with Screven County citizens [he has] encountered in the line of duty, to include [his] sexual relationships with…a married woman and…a known methamphetamine user and the subject of numerous criminal investigations in recent past.” Kile stated the behavior violated the SCSO Oath of Office and the office’s Code of Ethics.
“You have proven to me on a number of occasions that you are not capable of the level of self-direction needed to adequately perform your duties as a criminal investigator,” Kile wrote before outlining a series of issues with follow-through.
Kile also detailed that there were issues with Duncan’s fuel card usage, noting he used the county fuel card for his personal vehicle on at least eight occasions in 2011.
Four months later, Duncan was fired from SCSO. Kile’s termination paperwork for Duncan listed “Failure to obey lawful order, Abandonment of Post and undesirable personal conduct” as the reasons for discipline.
POST Council Seeks Revocation of Duncan’s Certification
In 2013, POST Council recommended revocation of Duncan’s POST certification for Departmental Violations, Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer, two counts of Sexual Misconduct, Abuse of Office/Authority, and Misuse of Departmental Equipment.
Duncan contested the revocation and requested a hearing before POST. In his paperwork for his appeal, Duncan said he was not terminated from Screven County and a POST investigation should not have occurred. He wrote that he resigned from the office but Mike Kile refused to sign his letter doing so.
Ultimately, a Consent Order was agreed upon due to his leaving law enforcement altogether.
Latest Employment
POST records show that Duncan was out of law enforcement for approximately thirteen years. In May 2024, he was hired by Candler County as a ‘Reserve Officer.’ After his arrest, the Candler County Sheriff’s Office said Dunan had been “suspended pending the outcome.”
