MARLBORO COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A judge on Tuesday granted $25,000 surety bonds for suspended Marlboro County Sheriff Charles Lemon and former deputy David Andrew Cook.
Lemon and David Andrew Cook are were arraigned at 1:30 p.m. in front of Judge Michael Nettles in Florence.
Nettles said neither Lemon nor Cook can have any contact with anyone from the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office outside of their attorneys.
News13 will stream the arraignment live in the player above.
Lemon and Cook have been charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, along with misconduct in office, according to an announcement last week by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.
In the video, Lemon orders the officials to remove the inmate’s handcuffs and “tase the hell out of him.” Lemon is heard on the video saying, “When y’all take the handcuffs off of him – when he turn around, stick that taser to his head.”
The sheriff then yells several things, including about how he knows Johnson’s whole family. He goes on to yell, “give him what he asked for.”
Johnson’s handcuffs are then removed by jail officials and that’s when Johnson turns around and appears to lunge towards the sheriff. After that, more yelling is heard and the sheriff continues to demand that the Taser be deployed to Johnson more. This video lasts for a little over two minutes.
Former Bennettsville Police Department Chief Larry McNeil was named as interim sheriff until Lemon is acquitted, convicted, until if the indictment is disposed of or until a sheriff is elected in the next general election, according to an announcement. Cook resigned in July 2021 and was with the department since 2018.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.
Source: Fox 8 News Channel
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