CHESTER, S.C. — The Chester County sheriff and two of his officers have been indicted on charges related to the use of excessive force and the cover-up of the event.
The U.S. Attorney's Office handed down the charges against 55-year-old Sheriff Alex "Big A" Underwood, 39-year-old Chief Deputy Robert Sprouse, and 44-year-old Lieutenant Johnny Ricardo Neal Jr.
The indictment say the incident that led to the charges began on November 20, 2018. Officers with the sheriff's department, including Underwood, Neal, and Sprouse, were chasing a suspect after a car accident in the town of Fort Lawn.
A man who was standing outside his house near the crime scene started live-streaming what police were doing. The sheriff asked the man to stay on his porch, but the man stayed in his yard. About 25 minutes later, Underwood came back and told man to go back to his porch again.
Prosecutors say Underwood then grabbed and restrained the man, and demanded his cellphone, and finally said he was arresting him. Neal then put the man in handcuffs, prosecutors claim, and knocked the man to the ground, injuring his head and elbow.
The indictment said they placed what's known as a "hold" on the man, causing him to be held in jail for three nights.
The indictment says say Underwood and Sprouse then became aware that the video had been live-streamed. They then announced that a radio had been lost during the seizure, and they asked their deputies to get a search warrant to go into the man's home. However, officers say Sprouse went into the home without a warrant, according to prosecutors, and found the man's phone and took it out.
In January, Sprouse and Neal are accused of created an incident report with false statement about the seizure. The indictment goes on to say that Underwood and Sprouse created a disciplinary report blaming the deputy in charge of evidence for taking the cell phone. Sprouse and Underwood are also accused of lying to the FBI about how the cell phone was obtained.
“Those who swear to protect and uphold the law, while at the same time using their positions of power to hide their own violations of the law, will be held accountable," said U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon. "The American system of government depends on those in power obeying the rules and ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and equally.”
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has suspended Underwood from office, and has appointed Donald "Max" Dorsey to serve until Underwood's legal situation is resolved.