Georgia sheriff testifies to dispute civil rights charges

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia sheriff on trial for abusing the rights of jail detainees who were strapped into restraint chairs has denied wrongdoing. Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill took the witness stand to defend himself at his federal trial Thursday. Federal prosecutors say the metro Atlanta sheriff misused restraint chairs that are intended to keep violent and aggressive detainees from hurting themselves or others by ordering their use as a form of punishment. Hill insisted the chairs are safe and testified that he sometimes orders them to be used proactively on detainees whose behavior suggests they’re likely to become violent. Two detainees in the case say they were restrained for hours, forcing them to urinate on themselves.