Deputy’s body cam footage debunks accusations of racially charged language, physical force during arrest

A Camden man was charged after an officer’s body camera footage debunked accusations that the officer used racially charged language and physical force while taking the suspect into custody.

Sheriff Jim Matthews said deputies were dispatched to a fast-food restaurant in Lugoff on Feb. 2 in reference to a fight in progress. When deputies arrived, Matthews said they separated two groups of females and one male with a baseball bat which were involved in a physical altercation.

Matthews said as one deputy pulled some of the females aside to get a statement and to de-escalate the situation, 20-year-old Tiamo Drakeford drove up, got out of his vehicle and approached one of the parties involved in the fight. As Drakeford walked towards the group, he engaged some of the females in conversation and the situation began to escalate again.

Matthews said a deputy instructed Drakeford to leave the area, but Drakeford allegedly became belligerent and cursed at one of the deputies. Drakeford was then taken into custody and charged with public disorderly conduct and transported to jail.

On Feb. 5, Drakeford went to the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office were he filed a written complaint against a deputy, alleging that the deputy pushed him and used racially charged language toward him at the time of his arrest, Matthews said.

The officer who was accused of the misconduct was wearing a body camera at the time of the incident, which was submitted for review, Matthews said.

Matthews said at no time did the deputy push Drakeford, swear at him or use any racially charged language.

A warrant was filed for Drakeford’s arrest for filing a false police report of an alleged felony and he was taken into custody, Matthews said.

Drakeford is currently being held at the Kershaw County Detention Center on a $3,500 bond. Matthews said Drakeford was recently out on bond for an unrelated grand larceny charge.

This story was originally published February 11, 2016 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Deputy’s body cam footage debunks accusations of racially charged language, physical force during arrest."