KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — A former Kershaw County jail sergeant is facing a charge of second-degree assault and battery after surveillance video recorded the alleged attack on a handcuffed inmate.
According to a warrant filed by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) the incident occurred on March 31 and involved then-Sergeant Steven Thomas Payne.
The warrant said Payne was escorting an inmate who was handcuffed behind the back from the Kershaw County Detention Center's booking area. At some point, while escorting the suspect, the warrant states that Payne grabbed the inmate by the neck and slammed that person against the wall. Payne is then accused of executing a "leg sweep and taking the inmate to the floor.
"At no point in the interaction did [the inmate] pose a threat of physical harm or escape," the warrant also states.
The warrant then adds that surveillance video of the incident and subsequent statements by Payne and witnesses were gathered and substantiated the charge.
Payne was arrested by SLED agents on Thursday and has since been booked into the Kershaw County Detention Center. The case will be prosecuted by the Fifth Circuit Solicitor's Office.