SC police officer charged with assault of person in custody, SLED says
A former Spartanburg County deputy was charged with assaulting a person who was in custody, according to state police.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agents arrested 26-year-old Matthew Mark Turner on Friday morning. SLED charged him with third-degree assault and battery and misconduct in office.
Turner resigned from the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office before his arrest, according to a spokesperson for the office.
In December, sheriff’s deputies were called to a home because a child was unconscious, SLED spokesperson Tommy Crosby said. After deputies arrived, a person at the home was put in custody. Turner, while acting as a deputy, punched the person multiple times while the person was custody, according to arrest warrants.
Details about the victim are redacted in the warrants, and SLED does not provide any details about victims, Crosby said.
Agents booked Turner in the Spartanburg County jail Friday. As of Friday afternoon, he was awaiting a bond hearing.
Third-degree assault and battery means a person was injured or could have been injured by the offender’s actions. The crime is a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine and up to 30 days in jail.
Misconduct in office is also a misdemeanor. If found guilty of the offense, Turner could go to prison for one year.
This story was originally published June 19, 2020 at 4:13 PM.