MONROE, Ga. — Wesley Jackson, a former Newton County sheriff’s deputy and a candidate for Walton County Board of Commissioners in 2020, was arrested last month on a felony charge of aggravated assault.

Public records indicate Jackson was booked into the Walton County Jail on Sept. 22.

An incident report from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office showed a deputy was called Sept. 21 to a home in the 1300 block of Greendale Road in unincorporated Covington.

The complaint, from a female resident of the home to 911, related to an incident that reportedly occurred between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sept. 18.

Brett Mizerak, attorney for Jackson, did not return a call seeking comment.

A person commits the crime of aggravated assault when he or she assaults with the intent to murder, rape or rob; with a deadly weapon or with any object, device or instrument which, when used offensively against a person, is likely to or actually does result in serious bodily injury; with any object, device or instrument which, when used offensively against, a person, is likely to or actually does result in strangulation; or a person or persons without legal justification by discharging a firearm from within a motor vehicle toward a person or persons.

In most cases, conviction on a charge of aggravated assault results in a prison term of one to 20 years, and a fine of at least $2,000.

When the victim is a past or present spouse, the parent of the suspect’s child or other persons (besides siblings) living or formerly living in the same household, the prison term is three to 20 years.

Jackson had spent eight years as a deputy in the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, until 2015, and owned a small farm. He also worked for a roofing company.

He ran in the Republican primary for the District 3 seat on the Board of Commissioners in 2020, opposing incumbent Timmy Shelnutt of Loganville.

Shelnutt won his third term easily, getting 72.5% of the more than 3,100 votes cast in the June 2020 GOP primary. He was unopposed in the general election.