Simpsonville police officer fired after excessive force allegations

A Simpsonville police officer has been fired after other officers alleged he used excessive force against a suspect, according to the chief of police.

Officer Brian Kurta was terminated based on the results of an internal investigation, Chief Keith Grounsell said in a statement Thursday night.

The complaint came from within the department and was corroborated with body camera footage, Grounsell said.

The State Law Enforcement Division has been asked to investigate what’s being described as an isolated incident.

“This isolated incident, in which we never received a formal complaint from the alleged victim or his/her attorney, was immediately brought to our attention internally by multiple police officers “ Grounsell said in the statement.

“By handling it swiftly and properly, we hope to ensure the general public that we do not condone this type of behavior, and it will not be tolerated at any level.”

Grounsell said he wouldn’t comment further since the SLED investigation is still pending.

Kurta is listed as a patrol officer on the department’s website.