Second Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office Employee Arrested in Assault Case

A Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office deputy, Gregory Bembry, has been arrested on a charge of assault on a female, and was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility shortly after 10 30 p.m. on December 4. He is being held under no bond and has been placed on administrative leave while the sheriff’s office conducts an internal review. Officials call the review standard procedure as the criminal investigation remains pending.

Sheriff Quentin Miller is limiting public comment because of the ongoing criminal probe, but emphasized the agency expectation of accountability. “We will hold everyone accountable if they are found to have broken the law or our policies,” Miller said in a statement. The sheriff’s office confirmed Bembry’s arrest late Wednesday, noting the administrative steps that follow such criminal allegations against agency personnel.

This arrest is the second in less than two weeks involving a sheriff’s office employee charged with assault on a female. On November 25, Buncombe County Detention Facility officer Trayvis Williams was taken into custody by the Asheville Police Department on the same charge. Williams was also placed on administrative leave while the sheriff’s office conducts an internal review in his case. The quick succession of arrests involving custody and detention personnel has prompted questions among residents and elected officials about department oversight and workplace accountability.

For Buncombe County residents the incidents carry immediate operational and civic implications. Staffing pressures in the detention facility and patrol units may intensify if administrative leaves extend or if criminal proceedings advance. Public confidence in local public safety institutions can be affected when multiple employees face similar serious allegations in a short time frame. The sheriff’s office has signaled it will follow established investigative and personnel procedures while the criminal cases progress.

As criminal investigators and internal reviewers proceed, community leaders and policymakers may consider whether existing transparency practices and oversight mechanisms meet public expectations. The outcome of the separate criminal cases and the sheriff’s internal reviews will determine potential disciplinary actions and could influence discussions about policy reforms, oversight, and trust in county law enforcement.