A jury has found a sheriff in South Carolina not guilty of violating a jail inmate’s civil rights when he ordered a deputy to shock the man several times with a Taser.
The federal jury deliberated for about an hour Monday before clearing Marlboro County Sheriff Charles Lemon, media outlets reported.
In May 2020, Lemon ordered Deputy David Andrew Cook to use his Taser when it was directly touching the inmate and again after shooting the prongs into the victim, shocking him six times, because the man was refusing to go in his cell. This was twice as many jolts as officers are trained to use, prosecutors said.
Lemon testified in his own defense that he had known the inmate’s family for decades. The inmate, who suffered from mental health problems, was arrested after attacking his father with a baseball bat and his fists and throwing his Bible in the trash as he prepared to go to church, according to testimony.
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pun not intended
Lemon testified in his own defense that he had known the inmate’s family for decades.
Ah, so it’s okay to harm people that you’ve known for decades, got it. I guess that there are parents who are like that with their children.
… for being mentally ill and throwing his bible in the trash. Glad they ain’t seen what I’ve been doin in my hotel room to every bible I’ve come across, mhm.
…seen what I’ve been doin in my hotel room to every bible I’ve come across.
Do you tie it up, first?
The defense called an expert witness on force who testified that six shocks with a Taser was not excessive when dealing with someone who will not follow orders.
Ray Nash, a former sheriff in Dorchester County, testified that the inmate’s violence against his father likely led Lemon to think the Taser was the only option to subdue him.
So, not for being violent or even disorderly or something. Got spikes in him and electrocuted 6 times for being stubborn.
The deputy who shocked the inmate on Lemon’s order pleaded guilty to a federal charge earlier this year and testified against the sheriff. He will be sentenced at a later date.
And the employee takes the fall for the manager.
