SC’s McLeod says he was rehearsing campaign speech before shirtless tirade in May
Lawyers for Mullins McLeod want a judge to throw the disorderly conduct charge against him, saying he was improperly taken into custody in a May incident.
The attorneys also say McLeod also clearly identified himself, contradicting a police report from the incident, which includes a video of the Democratic hopeful for governor calling out the attorney general and a member of congress while he is handcuffed and shirtless in the back of a police car.
In a motion filed Tuesday, McLeod’s attorney Scott Bischoff accuses the Charleston Police of breaking its own policies by initially saying he was going to jail before even starting their interaction with McLeod. They also did not tell McLeod why they were stopping him as he was walking out on the street, the motion says.
“The (body worn camera) footage proves the officers did no such thing,” the motion reads. “Instead, prior to having any interaction with Mr. McLeod and in violation of CPD GO #17.7 one officer states: ‘he is going to jail’ to which the female officer laughs in response and says ‘OK.’ ”
“Had the officer been courteous to Mr. McLeod as is required by CPD policies and procedures and asked him what he had been saying aloud, Mr. McLeod would have told them he was rehearsing political speech intended to be used in his campaign to be our state’s next Governor,” Bischoff wrote.
Police also said McLeod failed to identify himself and initially booked him as a “John Doe.”
Body camera footage of the May incident by shows McLeod identify himself with his full name and his date of birth. Also, officers repeat his name and type into the computer in a police patrol vehicle, Bischoff’s motion says.
Charleston Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In dashcam video that was first released by police, which is after the first interactions with McLeod, the Democratic candidate for governor does not say his name, and goes on a tirade which includes him saying he planned to kick Attorney General Alan Wilson’s teeth in and also calling out U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Police initially reported McLeod was yelling at the top of his lungs and being loud, boisterous and erratic, while only wearing underwear and shoes.
McLeod contends he was wearing athletic shorts and clothed no differently than someone out jogging.
After that initial dashcam video was released, the state Democratic Party urged McLeod to end his campaign for governor, but Tuesday’s motion is another sign the trial lawyer has no intentions to leave the race.
McLeod put more than $1.3 million of his own money into his campaign, which is competing against state Rep. Jermaine Johnson for the Democratic nomination. McLeod’s financial resources could allow him to stay in the race longer and counteract expected attacks about the arrest from other candidates.
Bischoff also wrote that officers, who were in the area because of another emergency call, didn’t receive any complaints about McLeod.
“In fact, there were no other people on the street at the time these officers forcibly stopped Mr. McLeod while he was walking along the battery less than two blocks from his own home,” Bischoff writes in the motion to dismiss.
