Former Kershaw County deputy of the year is fired after suspect was knocked out
The Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday a decorated deputy was fired and is being investigated for an incident in which a man he was trying to detain was knocked out.
Jonathan Goldsmith, the former deputy, is being investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for the Oct. 15 incident, Sheriff Lee Boan said in a news release. It is not the first time SLED has investigated Goldsmith for an incident that happened while he was on duty, spokesman Tommy Crosby told The State Thursday.
At about 11 p.m. on Oct. 15, Goldsmith responded to a call of a suspicious vehicle in a church parking lot, according to the release.
When he arrived, the deputy found a man in the vehicle who appeared to be intoxicated, and Goldsmith saw an empty handgun holster in plain view on the front seat, Boan said.
As Goldsmith tried to detain the man by putting him in handcuffs, the man began resisting and pulling away, according to the release. That’s when Goldsmith used force to put the man on the ground and handcuff him, knocking him unconscious in the process, according to the release.
“What shocked me even more was that my deputy did not immediately render aid or call for medical assistance,” Boan said in the release.
After Goldsmith eventually called for an ambulance, he continued using force to get the injured and handcuffed man into the back of his patrol vehicle, according to the release.
“This is NOT acceptable conduct from a KCSO deputy,” Boan said.
Goldsmith was fired, and the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office requested SLED lead a criminal investigation. Crosby said investigators are examining evidence, including dashcam and officer-worn body camera video, forensics, and witness statements. SLED will put its findings in a report for prosecutors to review.
In 2019, Goldsmith was investigated after he was involved in a shooting on Oct. 30, Crosby said. It involved a confrontation with a person holding a gun, according to SLED.
He and two other deputies were put on paid administrative duty after a 16-year-old boy was shot, WOLO reported. The teen recovered after being hit by gunfire, WLTX reported.
The result of the shooting investigation found there was no wrongdoing on Goldsmith’s part, according to Crosby.
In December 2019, Goldsmith was named the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Foundation Deputy of the Year, the Chronicle-Independent reported.
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