Richland detention officer arrested, charged with assaulting inmate, sheriff’s office says

A detention officer at the Richland County jail is now an inmate himself.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department announced Friday that officer Brient Sapp was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on charges of third-degree assault and battery and misconduct in office, after Sapp allegedly assaulted an inmate at the jail.

Sapp was investigated after a June 29 incident in which an inmate allegedly spit on Sapp.

“Sapp then struck and kicked the detainee multiple times,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Sapp did not attempt to deescalate the situation and responded with excessive force.”

The inmate was not injured in the incident, the sheriff’s department said.

Bristow Marchant

The State

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Bristow Marchant covers local government, schools and community in Lexington County for The State. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 2007. He has almost 20 years of experience covering South Carolina at the Clinton Chronicle, Sumter Item and Rock Hill Herald. He joined The State in 2016. Bristow has won numerous awards, most recently the S.C. Press Association’s 2024 education reporting award.  Support my work with a digital subscription