CONWAY, SC (WBTW)- Former Horry County Police detective, Daryl Williams, filed a lawsuit last year against the department, claiming he was discriminated against because he was black and a Muslim. That civil lawsuit will now likely be dismissed because Williams cannot be found.
Horry County Solicitor Jimmy Richardson says after multiple reports of misconduct at the department, Williams was the first officer to be investigated by SLED.
Now, court documents show his attorney and the federal court system have been trying to reach him for several months, and the man is nowhere to be found.
Thursday, Richardson talked with News13 about the moments leading up to the SLED investigation of Daryl Williams.
“I reached out to Chief Roads at the time, and, you know, basically, heard certain things were going on and we discussed it. As a law enforcement agency, you really can’t police your own police. Or, it doesn’t look good anyway. You could, and I think you could be fair about it, but more for the public and everybody else, that’s what SLED is there for,” said Richardson.
Documents we got from Horry County show disciplinary reports for Williams where he mishandled several cases and violated multiple county policies, including divulging and misusing confidential information and knowingly giving false information.
A few months later, he voluntarily resigned.
He later filed a lawsuit against the department, claiming discrimination because he was black and a Muslim, but Richardson says without Williams, there isn’t a case.
“If you aren’t proactive in moving it forward, and if it stagnates then that is all on the moving party, which is the plaintiff, which is detective Williams,” said Richardson.
Williams’ attorney, Bonnie Hunt, tried to keep the ball rolling. Court documents show she’s tried to get in touch with him multiple times, but because she can’t find him, she’s decided to remove herself from the case.
Now, Richardson says the case will be dismissed, and the SLED investigation could be the reason why Williams can’t be found.
“I think it’s an assumption without having any of the facts. I think it is an assumption, you know, people can make. I think that’s a reasonable assumption,” said Richardson.
News13 spoke with Hunt, and she said she could confirm she removed herself from the case, but because of client, attorney confidentiality, she couldn’t comment further.
Court documents News13 found show Hunt’s attempts and the court’s attempts at multiple phone calls and emails with no reply and mail returned undeliverable to Williams’ listed home address.
