SPRINGDALE, S.C. — The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has arrested a former officer with the Springdale Police Department after they say he shot the child in the head with a taser.
Carl Brooks Wilhelm 36, was charged with unlawful neglect of a child, along with misconduct in office.
According to SLED, the officer is accused of taking out his department issued TASER, pointing and shooting it at a juvenile on April 21, 2021.
According to the incident report, the child's mother dropped the boy off with Wilhelm so Wilhelm could take him to school. The reports says the boy interrupted a conversation Wilhelm was having with another officer. It was at that point that SLED says Wilhelm took out his taser, pointed it, and shot the taser at the juvenile, hitting him on the left side of the head. The boy was transported to the hospital where the probe had to be surgically removed.
The officer had previously pointed the taser at the juvenile to scare him, the report states.
The request for the SLED investigation was made by the Springdale Police Department, according to Springdale Police Chief Andrew Richbourg, to ensure there was no bias in the investigation. Richbourg says the officer is no longer employed with the department.
Wilhelm was booked at the Lexington County Detention Center.
The case will be prosecuted by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.