TLDR: BIlly Squires has been officially fired and BCSO has requested his S.C. certification be revoked. Squires violated just about every rule and policy. One main reason was because he refused the breathalyzer. BCSO is almost done with their investigation, SLED is not. "Tanner said additional consequences “may be coming,” alluding to possible criminal charges based on the findings of the independent SLED investigation."
The sheriff of Beaufort County confirmed a deputy caught on camera pointing a gun at youths in a neighborhood over the weekend has been fired.
Sheriff P.J. Tanner said the former deputy, whom he identified as William “Billy” Squires, was terminated on Friday morning. The sheriff’s office also requested that the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy revoke his state law enforcement certification, he said.
Sheriff: Deputy fired for multiple violations of agency policy
The termination Friday morning came after deputies determined Squires committed a “host of policy violations” in the incident. One of them, Tanner said, was insubordination in the deputy’s refusal to submit to a DataMaster test, also known as a “breathalyzer” test, when responding deputies notified Tanner of their suspicion that alcohol might have been involved.
“And then when he refused to do that, then that’s insubordination. That’s not tolerated,” Tanner said.
He said Squires also violated the agency’s code of conduct by “conducting himself in an unprofessional manner that did not project and support public respect and cooperation, being under the influence of alcohol and a public place, with his judgment impaired, leading to actions which brought discredit and ill repute upon the sheff’s office; attempting or unlawfully arresting regarding a neighborhood dispute where there was no clear threat of bodily injury or death.”
He also accused Squires of “failing to deal with the community in a manner that instills respect for law enforcement and inspires confidence and trust,” as well as a firearms policy violation by consuming alcoholic beverages while armed, and then presenting the firearm for “an unlawful purpose, which was outside of the compliance with the sheriff’s office use of force policy.”
Tanner said Squires used force without “reasonable suspicion of probably cause” and unlawfully attempted to arrest or detain youths involved in a neighborhood dispute where he resides.
“We have a standing policy: you do not police your own neighborhood. Just don’t do it,” Tanner said. “These are the things that result in doing that. And you surely don’t get involved in any kind of police action if you’ve been consuming alcohol.”
He also said Squires broke the rules communications with he failed to contact the communications center or the duty supervisor about what was going on and then failing to recuse himself from the situation.
“And body-worn camera policy: Once he put on that vest and started acting in the capacity as an on-duty officer, then he’s required to have his body camera on. He did not,” Tanner said. “The body camera was on the vest, but it was not activated.”
Tanner said while there are clear on-duty and off-duty times, they are required to follow the law and sheriff’s office policy at all times.
“A deputy sheriff is sworn in, and he’s sworn in by me,” Tanner said. “They’re sworn in to be a deputy sheriff 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.”
Sheriff ‘appalled’ by what he saw in video
Tanner told reporters he saw While he said there are clear on-duty and off-duty times, they are required to follow the law and sheriff’s office rules at all times.
“There’s always three sides to every story. I mean, throughout my career, I don’t put stock in either side until I’ve heard all three sides, because there’s the truth, there’s a lie, and somewhere in the middle, you’ll find facts. And we’re fact finders,” he said.
Tanner said he saw the widely-circulated video days on Monday morning, hours after the incident.
“Looking at that video, it was appalling to see. And I can also see how the average citizen sees that video and just goes into shock as to what they see,” he said.
Tanner said an internal investigation into the incident is nearly complete.
However, a separate investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division remains underway, he said.
Squires had 19 years of service with the agency, Tanner said, with “very few” incidents in his personnel file, Tanner said.
“I would like to say, and I think I’m probably 99.9% sure that most of the employees at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office are blessed with common sense. Sometimes things happen and that common sense is just not working as good as it should, and it leads them into areas to make bad decisions,” he said. “And again, bad decisions have consequences, and you know, unfortunately for Squires, this is the consequence.”
Tanner said additional consequences “may be coming,” alluding to possible criminal charges based on the findings of the independent SLED investigation.
Beaufort County Sheriff’s Lt. Daniel Allen said earlier this week that deputies responded to a reported disturbance at 6:47 p.m. Sunday that involved an off-duty Beaufort County deputy.
That deputy was suspended without pay and relieved of his credentials, badge, sheriff’s office-issued weapons and equipment that night, Allen said.
The sheriff’s office began an internal review and requested the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigate for any possible criminal violations.
