WARNING: Dashcam video with this story contains language that may be offensive to some.
Documents and dashcam obtained by News13 reveal new information about an alleged excessive force incident involving deputies with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident was caught on camera by an onlooker in February. Photos of the incident also spread online. The encounter involved a man and deputies outside a convenience store on East Palmetto Street.
News13 has since obtained documents that include an incident report and arrest warrants. Dashcam video also was obtained.
According to the documents, a customer outside a convenience store looked at a deputy “as if he needed help.”
Tyler Flemming told a deputy that he took a bus to Florence from California, and asked for a ride to Mullins. Flemming told the deputy he did not have identification, but provided his name and date of birth. He reportedly showed the deputy that he had a piece of paper that gave him permission to travel while he was on probation.
When the deputy began running his information, Flemming started cursing, according to reports.
He was then placed under arrest for breach of peace after reportedly calling the deputy a ‘cracker ******-******’.
Another deputy then arrived on scene to help and try to hold Flemming against a patrol car, but Flemming resisted, according to deputies.
One deputy reported Flemming had a ‘large amount of spit in his mouth’ so he tried to keep Flemming pushed away from him.
After struggling, the deputy took Flemming to the ground.
According to reports, Flemming then threatened to ‘kill all of these cracker-*** ******-*******’.
He was held in place until another deputy arrived to help load Flemming into a cruiser.
Deputies say Flemming then told them they would ‘die a slow and painful death’.
WARNING: This video contains language that may be offensive to some:
- Dash cam video: Arrest of man accusing Florence Co. deputies of excessive force
- Dash cam video part 2: Man accusing Florence Co. deputies in back seat of police car
Flemming was taken to the Florence County Detention Center and booked.
In late February, Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said his deputies did nothing wrong.
This incident comes months after a Florence County deputy and a Florence police officer were killed, and 5 other law enforcement officers were injured, following an ambush in the Vintage Place neighborhood.
