RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — A Richland County deputy has been suspended without pay pending her official termination after her arrest on Sunday morning, officials say.
The Richland County Sheriff's Department said a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper pulled over 40-year-old Brandy Porter Browne around 1 a.m. Sunday at I-77 and Bluff Road. Upon making contact with Browne, law enforcement determined she was under the influence.
She was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, open container and pointing and presenting a firearm. The latter charge isn't explained in the Richland County Sheriff's Department statement. Browne has since been taken to Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. Public records at Alvin S. Glenn, which only display people currently jailed at the facility, no longer list her there.
In a statement, Sheriff Leon Lott said he was disappointed in her actions.
"I expect my deputies to hold themselves to a much higher standard," Lott said. "Her actions are unacceptable."
The sheriff's department said Browne had been with the agency since 2018 and served as a school resource officer.
