SC deputy’s actions were ‘unacceptable,’ Richland County sheriff says after arrest
A deputy with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department was suspended Sunday after being charged with DUI and other crimes, officials said in a news release.
In addition to driving under the influence, 40-year-old Brandy Porter Browne was arrested on open container and pointing and presenting a firearm charges, the sheriff’s department said in the release.
Browne was not on duty and was driving her personal car when arrested, the sheriff’s department told The State.
Browne was stopped by a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper at about 1 a.m. at Interstate 77 and Bluff Road, according to the release. That’s by Exit 5 on I-77 in Columbia, about 13 miles from Williams-Brice Stadium.
During the traffic stop the trooper determined Browne was under the influence, and she was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, the sheriff’s department said.
There was no word why the traffic stop was initiated or what led to the pointing and presenting a firearm charge.
Information about Browne’s bond was not available, but as of 1 p.m. Sunday she was not listed on the jail’s inmate roster.
Browne was suspended without pay pending termination, according to the release.
She had been with the sheriff’s department since August 2018 and was currently serving as a school resource officer, the sheriff’s department said. Information about the school where Browne was stationed was not available.
“I’m extremely disappointed at the choices she made; but we are all responsible for our actions,” Sheriff Leon Lott said in the release. “I expect my deputies to hold themselves to a much higher standard. Her actions are unacceptable!”
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This story was originally published January 21, 2024 at 1:27 PM.
