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Archive for the ‘SOUTH CAROLINA’ Category
Horry County South Carolina Police Officer Kyle G. Bell Arrested, Charged With Arson
June 26th, 2008
HORRY COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA - An Horry County police officer was charged Wednesday with arson.
Kyle G. Bell, 32, of Nichols is accused of setting fire to a tract of land belonging to the International Paper Co. off Bullock Trail in Longs on April 23, 2007, according to a statement released by the State Law Enforcement Division.
Bell was released from J. Reuben Long Detention Center about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday after he posted a personal recognizance bond.
Trigger-Happy Greenville County South Carolina Deputy Chris McAlmont Shoots And Kills Police Dog
June 24th, 2008
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - Authorities say a Greenville County deputy accidentally shot and killed a police dog pursuing a man suspected of shooting a store clerk.
A police report says the police dog, Wes, had been released to pursue Antwaun Demarcus Whitmire, 26, but began biting a deputy’s leg Monday morning.
The report says Deputy Chris McAlmont did not realize it was a police dog and fired because he “feared for his safety.” McAlmont was treated and released from Greenville Memorial Hospital.
Lt. Shea Smith says the shooting followed an argument between Whitmire and his girlfriend outside a Greenville convenience store early Monday. Whitmire fired shots after the woman ran in the store and employees locked the man out.
Store clerk Susan Lambert was shot at least once and was treated and released from the hospital. Appeared Here
South Carolina State Police Troopers Keep Jobs Despite Infractions - 80 Have Been Disciplined At Least Twice Since 2003
June 22nd, 2008
SOUTH CAROLINA - Eighty current state troopers — including several seen in recent high-profile videos engaging in questionable behavior — have been disciplined at least twice since 2003, a review by The State newspaper has found.
Department of Public Safety records, obtained under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act, show that over the past 5½ years:
• Two troopers have been disciplined seven times each for improper conduct — including using profanity to motorists or speaking to jurors during a trial — or breaking other department rules. Neither received more than a suspension.
• One trooper with at least four infractions was rehired after being accused of giving false information about an accident involving a patrol car.
• Troopers in slightly more than half of the 207 cases received the lightest punishment possible — counseling — for violations, including being in at-fault car wrecks with patrol cars or speaking rudely to motorists. Suspensions were given in 16 cases.
Read MoreCrazed Fort Mill South Carolina Police Officers Arrest People At Hight School Graduation For Cheering - Our Tax Dollars At Work
June 21st, 2008
FORT MILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Five of the six people arrested at Fort Mill High School’s graduation ceremony have requested a jury trial.
And the attorney representing the five, Harry Collins of Rock Hill, said Thursday he plans to file a motion to dismiss the charges before the cases reach a courtroom.
“These people are innocent,” Collins said.
Matthew Jones Sterling, 21, of Fort Mill, S.C.; Jamie Ellen Hill, 24, of Knoxville, Tenn.; Nathaniel Hill, 21, of Tega Cay, S.C.; Robert Anthony Massey, 42, of Clover, S.C.; and William Eric Anthony Massey, 19, of Fort Mill will be tried by a jury, Collins and the Clerk of Court Office confirmed Thursday. A date has not been set.
The suspects, among eight individuals arrested at area graduation ceremonies, are charged with public disorderly conduct after police say they cheered during the presentation of diplomas.
Read MoreHorry County South Carolina State Parole Agent Timothy Neil Zachery Pleads Guilty After Sex With A Probation Offender For A Tiny Slap On The Wrist
June 19th, 2008
MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA - A S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services agent was sentenced today to probation and 200 hours of community service after he pleaded guilty to misconduct in office.
Timothy Neil Zachery, 47, of Forestbrook Road in Myrtle Beach pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to one year in prison suspended after he serves one year on probation and completes the community service, 15th Circuit Deputy Solicitor Fran Humphries said.
The Horry County probation, parole and pardon officials can transfer Zachery’s case to another county for his supervision, Humphries said.
Zachery was charged in March 2007 after he was accused of engaging in sexual activity with a probation offender, according to an arrest warrant.
The warrant showed the conduct happened that month and “on dates previous thereto.”
Zachery had been out on bail pending prosecution.
McColl South Carolina Police Officer Arrested, Jailed, Suspended, Charged With Trafficking Cocaine - Bonus: Wife Busted For Drug Possession
June 16th, 2008
MC COLL, SOUTH CAROLINA - A McColl police officer is in jail after authorities in Columbia say he was trafficking cocaine.
Richland County investigators arrested 38-year-old Jerry Smith, and his wife, 42-year-old Udora Smith, on Friday.
Jerry Smith faces charges of misconduct in office and trafficking cocaine.
Udora Smith faces charges of unlawful possession of a prescription drug.
McColl Police Chief Tommy Langley says Jerry Smith is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
7 Arrested After Cheering At Rock Hill South Carolina Graduation - Our Tax Dollars At Work
June 13th, 2008
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Authorities say seven people attending high school graduations in Rock Hill are facing charges after police say they cheered while students’ names were being called.
Authorities say six people at Fort Mill High School’s graduation were charged Saturday and a seventh at the graduation for York Comprehensive High School was charged Friday with disorderly conduct.
Police say those arrested yelled after students’ names were called while diplomas were handed out.
A police spokesman says school officials request police patrols to prevent graduation disruptions that include standing, hollering and clapping.
He says those attending the commencements are told their behavior can be prosecuted.
Rock Hill is about 70 miles north of Columbia, South Carolina.
Crazed South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham Vows To Overturn Supreme Court’s Constitution Based Decision Regarding G.W. Bush’s Guantanamo Bay Torture Victims
June 13th, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC - Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) vowed Thursday to do everything in his power to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision on Guantanamo Bay detainees, saying that, “if necessary,” he would push for a constitutional amendment to modify the decision.
A former military prosecutor, Graham blasted the decision as “irresponsible and outrageous,” echoing the sentiments of many congressional Republicans and President Bush.
Earlier in the day, the court ruled 5-4 that suspected terrorists held by the U.S. military at Guantanamo Bay have the right to challenge their detention in federal court.
When talking to reporters Thursday afternoon, Graham cautioned that it he was still digesting the decision but said he was “looking at every way I can to modify this position,” including fighting to change the statute.
“The American people are going to wake up tomorrow and be shocked to hear that a member of Al Qaeda has the same constitutional rights as an American citizen,” said Graham.
Read MoreSouth Carolina State Patrol Trooper Steven C. Garren Indicted By Federal Grand Jury After Ramming Man With His Patrol Car - Caught On Video
June 11th, 2008
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - A South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper who was caught on video ramming a suspect with his patrol car was indicted Tuesday on a federal civil rights charge, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Steve C. Garren was indicted by a federal grand jury in Greenville on a charge of willfully depriving a man of his constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer, authorities said. Garren is white; the suspect he rammed is black.
State and federal authorities began investigating the highway patrol in March after videos emerged that showed troopers using a racial epithet and ramming their cruisers into fleeing suspects. The head of the patrol, as well as the head of the agency that oversees it, both resigned in February amid charges of racism among troopers. The investigations continue.
Read MoreCrazed Rock Hill South Carolina Police Arrest Family’s Children For Cheering At Brother’s Graduation - Five Others Arrested For Cheering - Our Tax Dollars At Work
June 10th, 2008
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Most people get choked up and excited at graduation. But one family’s excitement landed them in jail. Arrested and handcuffed for cheering.
More than 500 Fort Mill High School Students graduated Saturday at Winthrop Coliseum. The audience and the graduates were told in advance that cheering during the ceremony was forbidden. They were even warned that if they did make noise, they’d be removed from the coliseum by the Rock Hill Police.
But one family says they had no idea just how far the police would go. “I think this was one time for my son to go out of his box. And it was the wrong time to do it,” said the father who asked not to be identified.
Two of his children were arrested and handcuffed by police for cheering when their sibling’s name was called.
Read MoreWith All Other Problems In The City Solved, Charleston South Carolina Police Target Gum Chewers
June 9th, 2008
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - Better watch where you stick your gum if you live in South Carolina. Utility poles seem to be a popular spot for people to their stick gum, and city officials in Charleston are enforcing higher consequences. Anyone caught faces a fine up to $500 and 30 days in jail.
The gum poles have been an unsightly Charleston landmark for years and now authorities want to do something about them. It seems three utility poles at the entrance to the South Carolina city’s popular outdoor market are routinely plastered with used chewing gum in a rainbow of colors. Workers clean away the gum only to see more return.
City traffic and transportation director Hernan Pena has asked police to keep a close watch on the poles and there’s talk of installing surveillance cameras.
Police said anyone caught plastering gum faces a maximum fine of $500 and 30 days in jail. Appeared Here
Anderson County South Carolina Magistrate Judge Mike Smith And Sheriff’s Detective Gene Brock Arrested, Charged After Sports Bar Brawl
June 7th, 2008
ANDERSON COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA - An Anderson County magistrate judge and an Anderson County sheriff’s detective have found themselves facing assault charges in relation to a barroom brawl that occurred early Sunday morning in Williamston.
Judge Mike Smith, 45, of Pelzer was charged by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division with one count of simple assault and has been released on a $1,087.50 personal recognizance bond, officials said Thursday. Smith was charged with public disorderly conduct Sunday.
Detective Gene Brock, 45, of Fair Play was charged with one count of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and has been released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.
Jared Roberts, 24, of Pelzer was charged with two counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and was released on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond.
Read MoreDrunk Driving Charge Against Fired Veteran Greenville County South Carolina Deputy Sheriff David Morrow Dismissed - Blew Nearly Twice State Limit
May 31st, 2008
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - A driving under the influence charge against a former Greenville County sheriff’s deputy has been dropped.
Magistrate Mark Edmonds told WYFF-TV on Tuesday the DUI case against former Deputy David Morrow was dismissed because of the lack of probable cause.
Morrow had worked for the sheriff’s office for 14 years before his arrest Oct. 14. Sheriff Steve Loftis fired him the next day.
According to an arrest report, Morrow swayed to keep his balance when asked to stand on one leg. The report listed Morrow’s blood alcohol level as .12, above South Carolina’s legal limit of .08.
WYFF reports that a defense witness testified that procedures outlined by law enforcement and the makers of the blood-alcohol device weren’t followed when Morrow was tested. Appeared Here
Judge Rejects Special Deal For Atlantic City South Carolina Police Officer Terrance Wiggins - Charged After Sex With A Crack Whore In Police Station
May 30th, 2008
ATLANTIC BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA - The State Law Enforcement Division charged an Atlantic Beach officer with misconduct in office in October after a woman accused him of sexual assault inside the town’s police department.
Tuesday, the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office offered Wiggins a plea and Wiggins accepted it, but circuit court judge Michael Baxley refused to accept the plea.
Prosecutors offered Wiggins a fine and probation in exchange for the plea, but the judge wouldn’t accept the deal, according to assistant solicitor, Scott Graustien.
Read MoreFormer North Charleston South Carolina High School Security Guard Charged After Sex With A Student
May 25th, 2008
NORTH CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - A former South Carolina high school security guard has been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and stalking.
Authorities say 41-year-old Terence Thompson of Ladson is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old student several times.
The former Fort Dorchester High security officer is also charged with stalking for allegedly calling a 15-year-old student out of class to a security room where he allegedly asked for a kiss and hug.
North Charleston police spokesman Spencer Pryor says Thompson has been released on a personal recognizance bond and must stay away from the students.
There was no phone number listed for Thompson and it was not immediately clear if he had an attorney. Appeared Here
Police Departments Forced To Cut Back On Fuel Use, Some Officers Fintally Have To Get Their Fat Asses Out Of Their Cars And Walk
May 23rd, 2008
NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA - With gasoline climbing toward $4 a gallon, police officers around the country are losing the right to take their patrol cars home and are being forced to double up in cruisers and walk the beat more.
The gas crunch could also put an end to the time-honored way cops leave their engines running when they get out to investigate something.
Some police chiefs think the moneysaving measures are not all bad, and might actually help them do a better job. But they worry about the loss of take-home cars, saying the sight of a cruiser parked in a driveway or out in front of a home deters neighborhood crime.
In Newberry, population 10,000, Chief Jackie Swindler is telling his officers to turn off the ignition whenever they are stopped for more than a minute or so, and to get out and walk around more.
Read MoreFormer Horry County South Carolina Deputy Sheriff Christopher Jerome Palmer To Face Jury After His Drunk Driving Arrest - To Drunk To Count Fingers
April 28th, 2008
HORRY COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA - A former deputy with the Horry County Sheriff’s Office charged with driving under the influence has requested a jury trial.
Christopher Jerome Palmer, 37, of Conway, requested the trial on April 16 in Conway Traffic Court, according to court records.
His trial date has not been determined.
Palmer was arrested March 30 by Conway police. He was held overnight at J. Reuben Long Detention Center and released the following day on a personal recognizance bond, authorities said.
Palmer submitted his resignation on March 31, according to Sheriff Phillip Thompson. Palmer was arrested on Kenneth Street in Conway after a person reported a reckless driver in the area, according to an incident report.
The woman told police she saw Palmer get out of his car and urinate on the side of the road. An officer smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from Palmer’s vehicle, according to the report, and he told an officer he had been drinking.
Read MoreHundreds Of Records And Dozens Of Videos Released Amid Investigation Into South Carolina State Police Trooper Misconduct
April 27th, 2008
SOUTH CAROLINA - Hundreds of records and more than two dozen videotapes released Friday by the state Department of Public Safety include allegations against state troopers ranging from tickets being improperly dropped for clients of a state senator to a trooper handcuffing a black college student to a guard rail with his pants pulled down.
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The allegations also include the theft of money from drivers, assaults on motorists or passengers, intentionally erasing or cutting off in-car cameras and a ticket-fixing involving the State Transport Police, according to the records.
Two of the allegations — involving the dropped tickets and the college student — haven’t been investigated yet, and officials cautioned against drawing any conclusions.
In cases among the tapes where investigations have been concluded, some don’t back up the allegations made by citizens, while other officers were exonerated after internal investigations, especially in incidents involving the use of weapons.
Read MoreCrazed White South Carolina State Police Troopers Are Above The Law - Not Charged After Videotaped Violent Attacks On Black Motorists
April 27th, 2008
SOUTH CAROLINA - Two veteran prosecutors stand by their decisions not to charge white state troopers caught on videotape using force to subdue black motorists in separate incidents in 2006 and 2007.
In both cases — one man was poked at by a trooper with a shotgun in Orangeburg County and another fleeing on foot in Greenwood County was struck by a trooper driving a patrol car — the officers were disciplined, but solicitors said the troopers’ actions didn’t meet the legal standard needed to file criminal charges.
Solicitor David Pascoe said he believed the Orangeburg trooper’s claim that the shotgun incident was an accident, noting, “There wasn’t, like, an angry moment.”
Solicitor Jerry Peace wrote off the Greenwood trooper’s statement — “I tried to hit him” — as “pure bravado.”
Read MoreSouth Carolina Plans Call For Three Prisons To Hold Wetbacks Awaiting Deportation
April 21st, 2008
MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA - South Carolina sheriffs back a plan to build three regional prisons in the state to hold illegal immigrants as they await deportation.
Several sheriffs tell The Myrtle Beach Sun News that the plan would remove the inmates from overcrowded county jails, where they take up valuable space as they await officials to transfer them to the closest federal immigration court in Atlanta.
The current plan calls for the three prisons to hold up to 400 inmates each. State prison officials will run the facilities, which will be paid for through a program with the federal Department of Homeland Security.
It hasn’t been determined who will pay to build the prisons, and officials stress the plan is a work in progress.
Advocates for the poor worry concentrating illegal immigrants in a few jails may lead to substandard care in those facilities.
Appeared Here
Anderson County South Carolina Firefighter Daniel Fanning Under Investigation After Road Rage Incident With Firetruck
April 16th, 2008
ANDERSON COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA - An Anderson County volunteer firefighter has become the subject of an investigation after he allegedly tried to hit a man with his fire truck.
According to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Daniel Fanning, 25, of Anderson was driving a Hopewell Fire Department truck about 9 p.m. Monday on Shire Drive.
Brandon Massey, 30, of Anderson told deputies that he was trying to complain about noise from lights and sirens, caused by firefighters giving rides for a scavenger hunt to a number of teenagers from Young Life Youth Ministries, the report states.
Mr. Massey, trying to tell firefighters that they were disturbing the peace, told deputies that he “stood in the roadway and tried to get the driver to stop but the truck turned toward him, forcing him to the side of the road so he would not get hit,” Deputy W. T. Cunningham said in the report.
Read MoreFormer Darlington County South Carolina Deputy Sheriff Frank Mozingo Does The Right Thing And Dies 11 Hours After Receiving 11 Year Prison Sentence For Child Molestation
April 16th, 2008
FLORENCE, SC - Authorities say a former Darlington County deputy and magistrate has died just hours after he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for criminal sexual conduct.
The Florence County coroner’s office says 66-year-old Frank Mozingo complained of chest pains at the jail early Tuesday morning and died a few hours later at the hospital.
Authorities think Mozingo died from natural causes, but have ordered an autopsy.
Prosecutors say Mozingo had pleaded guilty just hours before to second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and would have had to serve more than nine years of his 11-year sentence.
Officials say Mozingo left the sheriff’s office in 1998 and became a magistrate the next year.
Appeared Here
Criminal Charges Possible In Investigation Of South Carolina State Police Troopers
April 16th, 2008
SOUTH CAROLINA - Investigations into the embattled S.C. Department of Public Safety could lead to criminal charges against troopers, outside monitoring of the agency and independent review of citizens’ complaints, state and federal officials say.
Federal and state law enforcement authorities will meet for the first time as a group this week to determine the scope and direction of their probes, said Kevin McDonald, acting U.S. attorney for South Carolina.
He declined to discuss specifics of videotapes obtained by The State newspaper showing Highway Patrol troopers engaging in questionable behavior, but said, “some I’ve reviewed are troubling.”
“We’re entering this meeting with an open mind to see what, if anything, is appropriate,” McDonald said last week. “Certainly our office would be involved with (investigating)any criminal acts and any civil rights violations.”
McDonald said he and other authorities will decide whether to seek criminal charges in some incidents.
Read MoreChild Molestation Charges Against Bennettsville South Carolina Police Officer Jerry Starnes Involve 4 Young Boys
April 16th, 2008
BENNETTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA — The charges against a Bennettsville police officer involve four boys, according to indictments on file with the Marlboro County Clerk of Court’s Office.
On April 3, a grand jury indicted Jerry Starnes, of 786 Burnt Factory Road, Bennettsville, on three counts of lewd act on a minor under the age of 14 and one count of lewd act on a minor under the age of 16 after a State Law Enforcement Division investigation. He was booked at the Marlboro County Detention Center and released Tuesday on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond.
Bennettsville Police Chief Larry McNeil said Starnes, 57, a training officer with the police department, has been placed on administrative leave.
A spokesperson for Attorney General Henry McMaster’s office said Starnes is accused of committing the crimes between 1969 and 1981 while he was an officer with the Bennettsville Police Department. The victims in the case were pre-teens to teenagers at the time of the incidents.
Read MoreVeteran South Carolina Department Of Social Services Employee Marthena Jackson Arrested, Jailed, Charged With Perjury, Forgery, And Misconduct
April 15th, 2008
HORRY COUNTY, SC - A longtime employee with the S.C. Department of Social Services was charged Monday with perjury, forgery and misconduct in office.
Bail for Marthena Jackson was set at $60,000 by a judge at J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
Jackson is the head of the county’s foster-care division.
Investigation Targets South Carolina State Police
April 14th, 2008
SOUTH CAROLINA - Investigations into the embattled S.C. Department of Public Safety could lead to criminal charges against troopers, outside monitoring of the agency and independent review of citizens’ complaints, state and federal officials say.
Federal and state law enforcement authorities will meet for the first time as a group this week to determine the scope and direction of their probes, said Kevin McDonald, acting U.S. attorney for South Carolina.
He declined to discuss specifics of videotapes obtained by The State newspaper showing Highway Patrol troopers engaging in questionable behavior, but said, “some I’ve reviewed are troubling.”
“We’re entering this meeting with an open mind to see what, if anything, is appropriate,” McDonald said last week. “Certainly our office would be involved with [investigating] any criminal acts and any civil rights violations.”
McDonald said he and other authorities will decide whether to seek criminal charges in some incidents.
Read MoreBennettsville South Carolina Police Officer Jerry Starnes Arrested, Suspended, Charged With Child Molestation
April 14th, 2008
FLORENCE, SC - A Bennettsville police officer has been arrested and charged with four counts of lewd acts on a minor.
A Marlboro County grand jury indicted 57-year-old Jerry Starnes earlier this month.
Authorities say Starnes committed the acts on four boys between 1969 and 1981. One of the alleged victims told the Morning News of Florence that he was a member of a junior police force when he was molested.
It was unclear if Starnes has an attorney. There was no answer Thursday morning at a telephone listing for him.
Bennettsville Police Chief Larry McNeil told WBTW-TV that Starnes has been placed on administrative leave from his job as a training officer.
Appeared Here
Former Charleston County South Carolina Deputy Sheriff Christopher M. Lanoue Pleads Guilty After Beating Handcuffed Man
April 12th, 2008
CHARLESTON COUNTY, SC – Christopher M. Lanoue, a former deputy with the Charleston County, S.C., Sheriff’s Office, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston to using excessive force during an arrest, the Justice Department announced.
During his plea, Lanoue acknowledged that he abused his authority as a law enforcement officer when, on June 21, 2007, he repeatedly hit and kicked a man in the head and neck even as the man, then detained, was already restrained in handcuffs. Lanoue admitted that his conduct violated federal law and the Constitutional rights of the victim.
Man Describes SWAT Like Charleston South Carolina Police Tactics Employed During Private Poker Game At His Home
April 11th, 2008
CHARLESTON, SC - Three days after cops busted into his home, Orlando Reyes talked about his arrest for playing “Texas Hold ‘em” at his house.
“They just barged in the house, guns drawn, flashlights everywhere, everybody screaming, hollering,” Reyes said.
But Reyes said he knew it was illegal to play poker.
“I didn’t think it would be a big deal. It’s grown men. professional men that wanted to relieve some stress and have a good time amongst each other,” he said.
But to police it was a big deal, and a violation of the state’s gambling law. Right in the middle of the raid was Reyes’ wife, Dawn.
“This is something i’ve watched on t.v. compares to a S.W.A.T. bust at a crack house. That was the magnitude with which this was handled,” Mrs. Reyes said.
Read MoreSeneca South Carolina Police Chief Stanley Sheriff On Medical Leave After Stealing Camera And Memory Cards From Georgia Wal-Mart
April 9th, 2008
SENECA, SC — Following a self-described “bizarre week,” Seneca Police Chief Stanley Sheriff remains on medical leave.
After an alleged incident at a Wal-Mart store in Toccoa, Ga. and a brief hospital stay, the city has put Sheriff on leave with pay.
John Covington, the recently appointed major of operations, has assumed leadership responsibilities in the interim.
“This has been one of the hardest challenges of my life right now,” Sheriff said Monday. “I’m embarrassed, but I have an explanation.”
Sheriff’s troubles began early Wednesday afternoon after he had a conversation with Covington about the upcoming fiscal year police budget, Sheriff said.
“After that conversation I don’t recall anything else,” he said.
However, Toccoa police said they received a call around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday from Wal-Mart loss prevention. Toccoa Police Chief Jackie Whitmire said Sheriff reportedly tried to return a camera at the store but couldn’t since the 90-day return limit had expired. Later, Sheriff allegedly walked out of the store with a new camera and two memory cards, valued at $120.
Read MorePolice Officer And South Carolina State Prosecutor Charged After Raid On Charleston Area Poke Game
April 9th, 2008
CHARLESTON, SC — The list of those charged in a raid on a Charleston-area poker game keeps growing.
Authorities now say a police officer, a teacher and a state prosecutor are among 65 people charged with gambling after the raid Friday night.
The Post and Courier of Charleston reports that, in all, 191 warrants have been issued.
Investigators say the house was hosting a well-organized poker and gambling operation with paid pit bosses and dealers.
The suspects were arrested under a 200-year-old South Carolina law prohibiting games of dice and cards. Attorneys for those charged say the law needs to be changed.
Appeared Here
Horry County South Carolina Police Officer Thomas Chestnut’s Wife Charged With Receiving Stolen Property - Veteran Cop Charged With Burglary
April 9th, 2008
HORRY COUNTY, SC - The wife of an Horry County police officer was arrested Monday and charged with receiving stolen property, according to authorities.
Carolyn Spears Chestnut, 38, was booked at J. Reuben Long Detention Center and later released after posting $5,000 bail, according to a jail official.
Her husband, Thomas Chestnut, 38, has been suspended from the Horry County police force without pay, pending the outcome of a burglary investigation, which began last week.
The three-year veteran of police department was charged with second-degree burglary and misconduct in office after an investigation initiated by his department, police said.
Chestnut’s arrest came after a Conway woman said someone took a laptop and digital camera from a model home.
According to the arrest warrant, the items were found in Chestnut’s home on Nancy Lane in Conway.
South Carolina State Trooper Cpl. E.J. Burton Guarding Governor Reassigned After Beating Man
April 6th, 2008
SOUTH CAROLINA - Over the last month, the South Carolina State Highway Patrol has been embroiled in controversy after videos taken from police dashboard cameras showed two different state troopers using their patrol cars to chase and even hit fleeing suspects.
Now three new dashboard videos have been released, and one of them has already proven embarrassing to the governor.
One video shows a trooper kicking a suspect repeatedly in the head, while a second shows a trooper hitting a man with the barrel of a shotgun while he is pinned on the ground.
In the third, recorded in January 2006, Lance Cpl. E.J. Burton punches suspect Aaron Goodman several times in the face after a high-speed chase. “Because of our position the only thing I could do was use my hands to gain compliance,” Burton wrote in a report.
Read MoreHorry County South Carolina Police Officer Thomas Jefferson Chestnut Charged With Burglary
April 4th, 2008
HORRY COUNTY, SC - An Horry County police officer was arrested Wednesday on burglary-related charges, days after a county sheriff’s deputy was charged with driving under the influence.
On Thursday, the Horry County Police Department announced the arrest of Thomas Chestnut, 38, and said he has been suspended from the force without pay, pending the outcome of an investigation.
The three-year veteran of police department was charged with second-degree burglary and misconduct in office after an investigation initiated by his department, according to a news release. Chestnut’s arrest came after a Conway woman said someone took a laptop and digital camera from a model home. According to the arrest warrant, the items were found in Chestnut’s home.
Earlier this week, police charged Horry County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Palmer with driving under the influence.
Chestnut is being held at J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
South Carolina Prison Guard Lori Clawson Johnson Charged With Sexual Misconduct With Inmate
April 4th, 2008
COLUMBIA, SC - A former female prison guard has been charged with two counts of second degree sexual misconduct with a male inmate.
Authorities say 24-year-old Lori Clawson Johnson was released from a Spartanburg County jail Thursday.
A man who identified himself as Johnson’s stepfather would not talk about the charges. He also said he didn’t know if the Johnson has an attorney.
The State Law Enforcement Division and the state Department of Corrections investigated the case.
Appeared Here
Horry County South Carolina Deputy Sheriff Christopher Jerome Palmer Arrested, Quits, Charged With Drunk Driving
April 2nd, 2008
CONWAY, SOUTH CAROLINA - A deputy with the Horry County Sheriff’s Office resigned Monday, one day after being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
Christopher Jerome Palmer, 37, of Conway was arrested at 7 p.m. Sunday by Conway Police. He was held overnight at J. Reuben Long Detention Center and released Monday on a personal recognizance bond, authorities said.
Palmer submitted his resignation Monday, according to Sheriff Phillip Thompson. Palmer was hired by the department on Oct. 31, 2005.
“He was a good employee up until that point,” Thompson said. “No problems prior to that.” Thompson said Palmer “voluntarily resigned.”
Palmer was arrested on Kenneth Street in Conway after person reported a reckless driver in the area, according to an incident report. The woman told police she saw Palmer get out of his car and urinate on the side of the road.
Read MoreMore Incidents Surface Of South Carolina State Trooper Abuse, Including Motorist Shot With Taser Weapon And Beaten By Officer J.B. Sawyer
March 29th, 2008
COLUMBIA, SC — South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. J.B. Sawyer kicked reckless driver Sergio Caridi in the head several times after he was subdued following a high-speed chase that ended on Interstate 95 in Sumter County, according to internal affairs documents reviewed Friday.
Of about 300 complaints lodged against state troopers since 2005, The Post and Courier was given access to review nearly 150 internal affairs documents from 2006 and 2007 in the wake of shakeups at the Highway Patrol and its parent agency, the state Department of Public Safety.
The newspaper learned, through the Freedom of Information Act, that the incident with Caridi in May 2006 and two others involved use of excessive force.
Caridi was hit with a stun gun and being restrained by officers when Sawyer kicked him in the head several times, investigators said. The incident was captured on tape by another officer’s dashboard camera.
Read MoreState Investigates South Carolina Highway Patrol For State Law Violations By Troopers After Videos Surface Of Racial Slurs, Death Threats, And Running Down People With Patrol Cars
March 24th, 2008
COLUMBIA, SC - The State Law Enforcement Division has joined a federal investigation into the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
SLED Chief Reggie Lloyd said his agency will look into possible state law violations by troopers, such as misconduct or assault.
The U.S. Justice Department also is investigating whether troopers committed any criminal civil rights violations.
“Our agency is committed to assisting them as far as whatever it takes,” Lloyd told The (Columbia) State newspaper.
In the past few weeks, videos have been released showing troopers using racial slurs, threatening to kill a suspect and using patrol cars to hit suspects running away on foot.
Highway Patrol Col. Russell Roark and his boss, Public Safety Director James Schweitzer, resigned last month after a tape surfaced showing a trooper using a racial slur as he chased a black man who ran from a traffic stop.
Read MoreSantee South Carolina Police Chief Kenneth McCaster, Former Lake City Police Chief, Arrested On Traffic Violations Including Open Container
March 22nd, 2008
ORANGEBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA — Santee Police Chief Kenneth McCaster, Lake City’s former police chief, has been arrested in Orangeburg and charged with several traffic violations, but his attorney says he expects the chief to be cleared.
State Public Safety Department spokesman Sid Gaulden told The Times and Democrat of Orangeburg that a trooper spotted a vehicle stopped at a traffic light early Thursday.
Gaulden said the trooper investigated when the vehicle didn’t move through several cycles of the traffic light. The trooper said McCaster was asleep in the vehicle.
McCaster’s been charged with improper parking, public disorderly conduct and possession of an open container of alcohol.
Prosecutor David Pascoe said he doesn’t expect to be involved because the charges against McCaster are misdemeanors.
McCaster referred all questions to his attorney, Gerald Davis, who said he’s still getting facts about the case but expects McMaster to be cleared.
Read MoreVideos Surface Of Lazy South Carolina Highway Patrol Officers Steven C. Garren And Alexander Richardson Using Patrol Cars To Run Down Blacks Men On Foot - Our Tax Dollars At Work
March 20th, 2008
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - Videos have surfaced showing two members of the South Carolina Highway Patrol using their cruisers to ram fleeing suspects, just weeks after two leaders of the agency resigned because of a furor over a trooper’s use of a racial slur.
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In one of the two new dash-cam videos, which were first reported Wednesday by The Post and Courier of Charleston, Lance Cpl. Steven C. Garren drives after a man on foot, striking him when he crosses in front of Garren’s cruiser. The man flips over the car’s hood and into high grass on the roadside.
“Yeah, I hit him. I was trying to hit him,” Garren, who is white, can be heard telling another trooper.
In the other, Lance Cpl. Alexander Richardson drives between apartment buildings, on sidewalks and past onlookers in an attempt to run down a suspect. After about a minute, Richardson’s car bumps the man, who grabs the vehicle in an attempt to steady himself. The man doesn’t fall and takes off running again.
Read MoreSouth Carolina State Prison Guard Eric Wilson Arrested, Suspended, Charged After Beating An Inmate
March 19th, 2008
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - A state prison guard has been arrested after authorities say he threw an inmate to the ground and choked him last month.
The State Law Enforcement Division says 31-year-old Eric Wilson was arrested Tuesday and charged with simple assault and battery.
Investigators say Wilson assaulted the inmate at Lee Correctional Institution on February 21.
Corrections Department spokesman Josh Gelinas says Wilson has been suspended without pay since the day of the incident.
A phone number for Wilson could not be found and it was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer.
Spartanburg South Carolina State Police Trooper Chris Mace Goes On Trial After Grabbing Teen Girl’s Ass
March 19th, 2008
MYRTLE, BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA - A state trooper from South Carolina accused of grabbing a the buttocks of a teenage girl in May 2007, at Broadway at the Beach is on trial this afternoon in Myrtle Beach.
Chris Mace, 31, of Gaffney, was issued a ticket for simple assault and battery, according to municipal court officials in Myrtle Beach.
Mace, who was off duty at the time of the incident, was suspended without pay by the S.C. Highway Patrol, said Sid Gaulden with the state Department of Public Safety. He is based in Spartanburg County’s Troop 3.
The girl told police that Mace “ran his hands down her side and then grabbed her rear with both hands” on Sunday night, according to a police incident report. The juvenile’s mother also witnessed the incident, police said.
Read MoreMarlboro County South Carolina Deputy Sheriff Robert Johnson, Under Investigation For Beating Man, Returns To Work
March 17th, 2008
MARLBORO COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA - The incident happened early Sunday morning at a bar in Marlboro County.
Solicitor Jay Hodge tells NewsChannel 15 based on preliminary findings he saw no reason to keep Deputy Robert Johnson on suspension.
An incident report says Johnson used his arm to subdue a man he was arresting. That man had to get stitches after the arrest.
Hodge tells us the investigation is ongoing and he will make a final decision when the investigation is finished.
Rapid City South Dakota Police Officer Brent Nelson Fired, Under Investigation For Embezzling Money
March 16th, 2008
RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA - A Rapid City police officer has been fired on suspicion of embezzling from a police organization.
According to Police Chief Steve Allender, Brent Nelson is suspected of taking money from the Peace Officers’ Association.
Nelson, a past president of the group, was a part-time police officer stationed at the Rapid City Regional Airport.
He did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment.
Allender would not give a specific reason for firing Hansen but said it had to do with integrity and work-performance issues. He said Nelson’s termination is not related to the earlier resignation of another officer, although the circumstances are similar.
The other officer is being investigated on suspicion of embezzling $30,000 from the Peace Officers’ Association.
The state Division of Criminal Investigation is looking into both of the suspected embezzlement cases, the chief said.
Darlington South Carolina Police Officer Vincent Robinson Arrested, Fired, Faces Drug Charges
March 9th, 2008
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - Former Darlington police officer Vincent Richardson’s bond was set at $1,000 Saturday morning. Richardson was arrested Friday night on a charge of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit.
Vincent Richardson, an officer with the department’s special detail unit, was placed on administrative leave Friday morning after the department received word of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Contol’s investigation, Darlington Police Chief Jay Cox said. Richardson was terminated from the department after he was arrested at about 5 p.m. Friday.
If convicted of the felony, Richardson faces up 5 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000, DHEC spokesman Thom Berry said.
The arrest was the result of an investigation that had been under way “for some time,” Berry said, and involved allegations of what’s commonly called doctor shopping to get prescriptions.