A Waycross Police Department Detective has been restored to full duty after being suspended pending investigation into an incident involving a physical altercation earlier this year in Brantley County.
Det. Marc Horne was returned to duty after the WPD’s internal investigation into the January 10 incident that led to a petition four days later for a temporary protective order by Tristen Music in Brantley County Superior Court, court records show. The incident that led to Music’s petition included a minor child, Phoenyx Phae Horne, according to the filing.
Music’s petition for the protective order was dismissed January 28 by Superior Court Judge J. Kelly Brooks. The dismissal came two days after a hearing on the petition, court records show.
According to court records, the dismissal resulted from Music’s failure to prove by a preponderance of the evidence the allegations contained in the petition.
Det. Horne was honored in January as the City Employee of the Year for 2025. He was instrumental in helping save the life of a Georgia State Trooper, Justin Jones, last May, following a high-speed chase that began in the city and ended with the trooper trapped in his partially submerged vehicle.
WPD Chief Tommy Cox released a statement dated March 25 on the department’s investigation into the incident and Det. Horne being restored to duty.
“On January 12, 2026, Detective Marc Horne reported to the Waycross Police Department his involvement in an incident involving a physical altercation that occurred outside the City of Waycross jurisdiction.
“In accordance with departmental policy, Detective Horne was placed on administrative leave pending review. The matter was immediately referred to the Brantley County Sheriff's Office, which has jurisdiction over the incident.
“Simultaneously, the Waycross Police Department initiated an internal investigation.
“Based on the evidence reviewed, and as it relates specifically to the reported assault, the information indicates that the detective was not the primary aggressor. The evidence further indicates that his actions were in response to an immediate threat involving an armed individual, during which he attempted to disarm the subject to protect himself.
“Detective Horne has since been returned to full duty.” The statement said the internal investigation remains ongoing with regard to any potential policy or procedural considerations. That process, the statement said, is not yet complete, thus no further details will be released at this time.
Waycross City Manager Ulysses “Duke” Rayford said last week in his city update streamed on Facebook, the city will conduct its own investigation “to see if further action is needed.” Once complete, he said the findings will be released to the City Commission and Mayor Michael-Angelo James and made public.
The incident and resulting court filings have created a firestorm of social media activity. This includes photographs purported to show injuries suffered by Music as a result of the incident.
Related to the posts and hundreds of following comments from people across the area, is a Cease and Desist Defamation letter posted on social media. The letter is dated March 25 from Craft to Ms. Kisha Music, Tristen Music’s mother, according to the letter.
It says Kisha Music has made false allegations in social media posts against Det. Horne that cast the situation between him and her daughter in a false light and have caused him emotional distress and harm to his reputation.
The letter wants all posts related to the incident and the couple removed and a retraction within seven days of the receipt of the letter stating the posts were a mischaracterization and untrue. Failure to do so will bring a lawsuit seeking damages for Det. Horne.
