FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – A man who has shot multiple times by a volunteer constable is filing a lawsuit against the City of Florence and the constable.
Brandon Fludd, 28, of Florence, was shot by a volunteer constable during a traffic stop in 2018 in the area of Waverly Avenue and Sunset Drive. Fludd was pulled over when police noticed the smell of marijuana and asked him to get out of the car. Fludd, instead, backed into the officer’s car, almost hitting the officer and a constable, according to the Attorney General’s Office, and started to drive away.
The constable then pushed himself away from the car and fired multiple shots, resulting in four gunshot wounds to Fludd, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
On Monday, Fludd filed a lawsuit against the constable, Christopher Bachochin, and the city on the two-year anniversary of the incident. The suit claims Fludd inadvertently backed his car up into an unoccupied police cruiser and then drove away. As Fludd drove off, Bachochin fired his weapon into Fludd’s vehicle, striking him several times, according to the suit.
Bachochin advised that he was ‘struck on the knee’ by Fludd’s vehicle but body camera footage clearly showed that his statement was inaccurate, Fludd’s lawyer says. Bachochin was not touched by Fludd’s vehicle but rather he reached his hand out to Fludd’s vehicle and then fired at him, the suit claims.
The complaint alleges that Fludd was struck in the chest, shoulder, knee and forearm and has incurred more than $100,000 in monetary damages, which include medical care and other costs.
Fludd is represented by Justin Bamberg of the Orangeburg, S.C.-based Bamberg Legal. Bamberg filed suit in state court in Florence County alleging gross negligence and violation of Fludd’s civil rights.
“We’ve maintained from the beginning that it is a bad idea to have individuals who are not qualified to make split-second, life-or-death decisions in a position to harm the general public,” Bamberg said. ] “Mr. Bachochin is a pharmacist who was interested in ‘playing cop.’ We filed this claim to ensure the safety of South Carolina residents and that only well-trained and qualified members of law enforcement are policing our streets and making the incredibly difficult decisions to fire their weapons.”
In December, Fludd was charged after an unrelated incident with dealing drugs and leading police on a chase through a neighborhood in Florence. Fludd was charged with failure to stop for blue light and distribution of crack cocaine (second offense). He was released from the Florence County Detention Center on Dec. 15 on a $30,000 surety bond.