Officer terminated after internal affairs investigation into inmate Taser incident at Florence County Detention Center

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — News13 is learning more about a man whose arrest and treatment while in the Florence County Detention Center prompted an internal affairs investigation that recently concluded.

After the arrestee, Darrin Davis, sent a written request and after video evidence was viewed, Sheriff TJ Joye opened the investigation.

Deputies were called to Davis’ house multiple times in one night back in April. Once by Davis, and the others by family members who said they were concerned for his mental health.

After the third call, Davis was charged and arrested inside his house on a breach of peace charge.

Davis said he was paranoid that he saw someone walking around outside of his house. However, he also claims that he did meth before his arrest, which might have caused his hallucinations.

Once he was brought to the booking area of the detention center, the investigation showed he wasn’t sent through the body scanner, bringing the drugs into the jail.

“[He] became uncontrollable inside the detention center which resulted in his fighting numerous detention center officers,” said Major Mike Nunn with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office. “He was tased several times in attempted to gain control over him.”

Nunn said at one point, Davis got control over a correctional officer’s Taser.

Davis said he had a hard time remembering what happened because he suffered head injuries.

“I do recall an officer pointing a Taser at me with lasers on my chest through the glass opening of the cell that I was in,” he said. “And I don’t remember a whole lot after that, but I do remember severe pain from tasing.”

According to the internal affairs report, Davis had a Taser used on him multiple times while officers tried to get him under control.

One of them had not been trained on the specific Taser and continued to use it after being instructed to stop by a supervisor. The officer said in the report that he didn’t hear the command.

The report also said that because of this, Davis experienced injuries that resulted in him being hospitalized.

“I was held for three days at McLeod in serious condition, and I was secured in four points by handcuffs,” he said.

Nunn said detention center surveillance and body camera video was recorded, but policies were violated after one officer told another to turn off their body camera.

“We determined that some of our officers failed to do the right thing,” he said. “They were disciplined and in one instance, one of our officers was terminated.”

Davis said the sheriff’s office should have a medical or nursing staff in booking when offenders are brought in to be examined. Nunn said an incident like this should’ve never happened, but they’ll be prepared moving forward.

“We’ll also be having additional training so that officers can better cope with problems created like this by Mr. Davis in our detention center,” Nunn said.

Nunn said the sheriff’s office will have additional training for these types of incidents.

Davis said that the report shows his arrest was unlawful, but said they have yet to dismiss his case.