Former Lexington County deputy charged with assaulting man in arrest, sheriff says
State agents charged a former Lexington County sheriff’s deputy with assault on Thursday, months after he chased a man down and hit him in the face while trying to make an arrest, according to authorities.
But the former deputy’s lawyer decried the charge, calling it an injustice against a law enforcement officer who had a reasonable right to fear for his life.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division charged former Lexington County Sheriff’s Department K-9 officer and senior deputy Matthew Fields with third-degree assault and battery, a misdemeanor punishable by 30 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Fields, a 37-year-old Prosperity resident, turned himself in at the Lexington County Detention Center on Thursday, the sheriff’s office said. He was released without having to pay a bond by Judge Arthur Myers, according to his attorney Seth Rose.
“As soon as I became aware of Mr. Fields’ actions, I started the process to terminate him and I asked SLED to conduct an investigation,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in a new release. “In this case, the system worked. The processes we have in place to hold deputies accountable when it comes to their encounters with the public brought his behavior to the forefront and we took immediate action.
“Having checks and balances in place is very important in the law enforcement profession,” Koon said. “They help maintain accountability and ensure public trust. We can’t accept any conduct that breaks that trust.”
The charge against Field stems from a July incident, according to SLED spokesman Tommy Crosby.
Fields chased after a man wanted on a federal gun charge, according to a warrant and Rose.
Fields’ police dog ran after the man, bit him and latched on, an officer wrote in the warrant. When Fields caught up, the man resisted arrest, Rose said.
The arrest warrant for Fields says he “unnecessarily struck” the man in the face while the police dog was biting him. Fields used a closed fist to punch the man, according to the sheriff’s department.
Rose said Fields used “reasonable force” to get control of someone who he had reason to believe might have a gun. Fields chased the man into the woods and could have reasonably believed another person was waiting to attack him and other officers, Rose said.
Fields was fired July 13, according to Koon.
“This is a miscarriage of justice, and every law enforcement officer around the state should be deeply concerned about what’s taken place here,” Rose told The State. “Matthew Fields is a law enforcement veteran and former Marine that has fought for our country. The alleged victim has an extensive criminal history including guns and violent criminal convictions.”
Rose said both the victim and Fields are white men and “there is no racial component to this case.”
“Matthew (Fields) is innocent,” Rose said. “I’m shocked that this has occurred, and quite frankly, it’s not right. As we speak this alleged victim is in federal custody for a gun charge.”
The victim in this case is currently jailed while awaiting court proceedings for two federal gun charges, including a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, records show. He is also charged with state-level offenses, including possession of a stolen car and other stolen goods as well as other charges related to illegal driving, according to records.
Fields’ case will be prosecuted in the Lexington County Magistrate Court, according to SLED.
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This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 1:02 PM.
