Greenville deputy cleaning gun in public was 'improper'

Internal affairs has investigated a Greenville County deputy after a man posted a video of the officer cleaning his service weapon in public.

The Sheriff's Office on Tuesday said it was improper for the deputy to clean his service weapon as he stood outside of a patrol car at Boulder Creek Apartments, 300 Furman Hall Road.

The deputy was working an "extra-duty" job Thursday at the apartment complex, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The man recording the video said children were outside playing, including his niece, who rode by on a bike. The man was about 15-20 yards away when he confronted the officer about two minutes into the video. The man told the deputy that he should clean his pistol in his car and doing it in public was “very inappropriate."

“It’s too many kids out here for that,” the man said.

Master Deputy Ryan Flood said the deputy recently completed gun qualifications and policy requires that the handgun is clean.

“It was just the improper place and time to do that,” Flood said.

The Sheriff’s Office has not released the deputy’s name. Sheriff Steve Loftis will determine any potential disciplinary measures, Flood said.