CAMDEN, S.C. — A former Kershaw County deputy has been sentenced to a year in prison for beating and tasering a suspect during an attempted arrest four years ago.
A jury convicted Jonathan Goldsmith of assault and battery Friday afternoon for an incident that took place in October 2020. Prosecutors had said Goldsmith knocked suspect Tony Sims unconscious and tasered him. In documents filed with the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, he was also accused of not immediately rendering aid to Sims after the assault. Sims lost several teeth.
The actions were captured on body camera footage. Goldsmith was terminated from his job in November of that year.
During the trial, Goldsmith and his attorney tried to argue that using force was justified. On Thursday, Goldsmith testified in his own defense, walking the jury through the body camera video with his attorney. They explained that Sims resisted arrest and that he struggled to get him under control. The defense portrayed Goldsmith’s actions as a necessary response to a non-compliant suspect.
The prosecution challenged the appropriateness of Goldsmith’s actions, particularly questioning whether it was proper police procedure to taser someone with their hands behind their back.
During the trial, prosecutors also questioned Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan, who hired Goldsmith. Prosecutors asked Boan whether Goldsmith's use of force—particularly knocking Sims unconscious—was appropriate in the situation. Boan said that an officer's priority in such cases should be to ensure the suspect’s well-being.
"Being unconscious is a serious matter. That’s not everyday police work I can think of; it doesn't happen very often," Boan said. "Can it happen? Yes, but that's a dire situation. Outside of there being an active threat going on around him, that's your priority to make sure he's OK."
An emergency medical services worker who responded to the scene testified that Sims had several teeth knocked out but noted that they were not informed he was unconscious at the time, the information they deemed critical for proper medical treatment.
The trial lasted four days.