“They are under a greater microscope:” Former JAG weighs in on accused Ft. Stewart shooter’s previous arrest

HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) - Had the Army known about accused Fort Stewart shooter Sgt. Quornelius Radford’s DUI arrest, he would’ve been under close watch, according to a former military lawyer.

Radford was arrested in Liberty County on May 18 for DUI after being pulled over for running a red light. Court records show he bonded out the same day. He was due for an arraignment on the charge exactly two weeks from Wednesday’s shooting.

READ: Fort Stewart shooting suspect was out on bond at the time of the shooting

According to a spokesperson for the Army, Fort Stewart’s command structure was not aware of Radford’s charge prior to the shooting.

“Each soldier, each instance, we take very seriously, something like a DUI or another issue that could occur in the community. That impacts how we treat that soldier in our formations,” said Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll at a news conference on Thursday.

It’s unclear why the military wasn’t aware of Radford’s charge.

Hinesville Attorney A.J. Balbo has been a civilian criminal defense attorney since 2006. Before that, he spent several years as a Judge Advocate General (JAG), which is a military lawyer, at Fort Stewart. He says it’s unusual that the Army would not be aware of a soldier’s arrest.

“Once law enforcement finds out that person is a soldier, they will always, in my experience, contact the military, contact the chain of command. Many times they’ll release the soldier back to military police,” says Balbo.

Radford’s ticket from the Georgia State Patrol shows he presented a Florida driver’s license as his ID after being pulled over. With that being an out-of-state license, Balbo says that could’ve been part of the reason the Army wasn’t made aware.

“If he tendered his Florida driver’s license and there was nothing else to indicate he was a soldier, it’s certainly understandable why law enforcement might not have made the connection in this case,” says Balbo.

Had the Army been made aware of Radford’s arrest, Balbo says there’s three main things that could’ve happened: He likely would’ve had his on-base driving privileges revoked, he would’ve been given a formal letter of reprimand, and the Army may have started the separation process- meaning Radford’s career could’ve ended altogether.

Before taking a step like that, however, Balbo says the Army would’ve likely let the case play out in civilian court.

“If he was a poor duty performer, if they were having problems with him, it could be that this was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and they could decide to separate the soldier. But, usually, they’ll wait to see what happens,” says Balbo. “I think[he would’ve been under closer watch]. I think when a soldier is facing some sort of legal issue, they are under a greater microscope, yes.”

WTOC Investigates reached out to Georgia State Patrol to ask whether the agency was aware of Radford’s military status at the time of his arrest, but have not heard back. We’ve also put in a request for footage of the arrest.

Radford is due in court to face the DUI charges on August 20. His attorney for that case declined to comment.

It’s unclear what charges Radford may face in connection to Wednesday’s shooting.