Richland County sheriff’s deputy fired, arrested after assaulting woman in custody
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department said a veteran deputy was fired and arrested after video surfaced of him assaulting a woman who was in custody.
The incident happened on Jan. 7, Sheriff Leon Lott said at a news conference Wednesday. Lott said he only learned of the attack on Monday and ordered a criminal investigation and a review of the body camera footage.
Lott said someone outside of the sheriff’s department called him about the video, which shows a woman who was handcuffed and sitting on a bench at the sheriff’s department being grabbed by Master Deputy Kyle Oliver and thrown to the ground. Oliver used both hands to grab the woman by her hair and hurl her to the floor, video shows.
“His actions are unacceptable, and I will not have it from any of my deputies,” Lott said. “I hold my deputies to a much higher standard, and anyone who works for me should know that I will hold them accountable.”
After learning of the attack, Lott said he shared the video with 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson on Tuesday, and shortly after that Oliver was fired from the sheriff’s department and arrested.
Oliver was charged with third-degree assault and battery and is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center while he awaits a bond hearing, jail records show.
The 29-year-old was with the sheriff’s department since 2013, according to Lott.
“It’s one of those days you stand up here and shake your head and go ‘Why? Why something like that can happen?’ But our job is to be transparent, be up front and fall on our sword. And that’s what I’m doing, falling on a sword.,” Lott said.
Beyond the incident, Lott said the biggest problem was that the sheriff’s department did not find out about it in a timely manner.
The woman who was assaulted never filed a complaint, Lott said. Information was not available on any injuries the woman, who has not been publicly identified, might have suffered.
The investigation isn’t ending with Oliver’s arrest. Lott said there were other people in the room when the attack happened and he wants to find out why they did not say anything.
“It’s frustrating that we did not learn of this incident because our checks and balances did not work,” Lott said. “We are better than this. The community expects better from us. I expect better.”
Lott created a new position within the internal affairs unit whose role will be to review body camera footage involving use-of-force incidents.
“This will ensure use-of-force incidents are reviewed by the officer’s chain of command and by internal affairs, regardless whether a complaint is lodged,” Lott said.
Oliver filled out a use of force form, but it did not match what was shown in the video, Lott said.
“The video doesn’t lie. You only use force that’s necessary to address situation, and that was not necessary — grabbing her by two hands of hair and throwing her down,” Lott said.
The sheriff said he’s not aware that Oliver has had any similar issues prior to the incident, but said the former deputy is named a defendant in an unrelated lawsuit against the department from an event that occurred a couple of years ago. Information about the lawsuit was not made available.
“My belief is there’s no history of activities like this,” Lott said. “But again, I’ll be honest, it may have happened and we didn’t discover it.”
This is the second Richland County sheriff’s deputy to be arrested in less than a month.
In August, the sheriff’s department suspended Deputy Aly Brun without pay after was charged with first-degree domestic violence. The 26-year-old has worked for the sheriff’s department since August 2018, and was assigned to the Richland County Courthouse.
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This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 1:21 PM.
