Caught on police body cam video grabbing a handcuffed woman by the hair and throwing her to the ground, a South Carolina sheriff’s deputy was terminated on Wednesday and charged with assault and battery. According to the sheriff, the incident occurred back in January, but he did not learn of it until Monday.
On January 7, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department arrested a woman involved in a domestic violence incident and took her in for booking. According to police body cam footage, the woman remained handcuffed while sitting on a bench and slamming the back of her head against the wall, which put a hole through the wall.
In the video, Master Deputy Kyle Oliver suddenly grabs the woman by the hair and slams her to the floor without legal justification.
On Wednesday, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott held a press conference and presented the video of Deputy Oliver’s attack on the handcuffed woman. According to the video, the woman did not appear to resist or fight back.
The sheriff explained that he was not made aware of the video until this past Monday. On Tuesday, the sheriff’s department consulted with the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, which resulted in a warrant.
Fired from the sheriff’s department, Oliver was arrested on Wednesday morning and charged with third degree assault and battery. He posted bond and was later released that same day.
“His actions are unacceptable, and I will not have it from any of my deputies,” Sheriff Lott said. “I hold my deputies to a much higher standard, and anyone who works for me should know that I will hold them accountable.”
During the press conference on Wednesday, Lott announced the creation of a new position within the internal affairs unit that will solely review body camera footage involving use-of-force incidents.
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