A 53-year-old former corrections officer now faces charges of assault and battery 3rd degree and misconduct in office after he allegedly used excessive force on an inmate who was handcuffed and lying on the floor.
Morgan Elridge Ridges, of Bennettsville, was serving as a corrections officer at the Marlboro County Detention Center on May 3, 2023, when the incident occurred. According to the arrest warrant, Ridges first used his right foot to pin the inmate's head to the floor then stood on the man's head with the right foot. Ridges then stepped off the inmate's head and lifted the inmate's head off the floor before kicking it with his right foot, causing the man's head to strike the floor.
The inmate kept moving his head while Ridges attempted to place a spit mask on the inmate's face, prompting Ridges to punch the inmate in the face with a closed fist.
Video evidence and Ridges' recorded statement were obtained during an investigation by South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), leading to Ridges' arrest.
Ridges was booked at the Marlboro County Detention Center.
