- Bodycam footage reveals former Charleston County sheriff’s deputy James “Hank” Carter III punching a suspect within the head at the very least eight instances throughout an October arrest.
- The 32-year-old suspect led Carter, 39, on an almost 10-minute-long high-speed chase earlier than exiting his automobile. The chase resumed on foot till the suspect tripped.
- Carter, who approached the suspect as he was kneeling, ordered him to get down with an expletive earlier than starting to strike him within the head, which apparently led him to briefly lose consciousness.
Body digicam video of a sheriff’s deputy who was fired and arrested in South Carolina reveals him repeatedly punching a person within the head after a automobile chase. The man is knocked briefly unconscious, and the officer asks after handcuffing him if he loved his nap.
Charleston County deputy James “Hank” Carter III pursued the person in his cruiser for practically 10 minutes at excessive pace. The chase continued on foot till the person tripped. He’s seen kneeling together with his arms at his aspect when Carter reaches him within the recording, which was launched late Monday.
Carter ordered the person to get down with an expletive and virtually concurrently punches him at the very least eight instances within the head. He handcuffs the person who does not transfer, then lifts him to his toes and asks “you enjoy that little nap?”
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Carter, 39, is white and the 32-year-old man is Black. Twice after getting him in handcuffs, Carter tells one other officer “it’s your boy.”
Carter’s lawyer mentioned there was no racist element to the arrest. The deputy had arrested the person earlier than and knew he was out on bond for being a felon in possession of a weapon, amongst different costs, his assertion mentioned.
When the person’s arms had been at his waistband, Carter needed to make a cut up second determination to guard himself and others and selected to make use of his arms as an alternative of a Taser or extra harmful strategies, and stopped as quickly as he realized the menace had handed, lawyer Joseph Cannarella added.
“Deciding what force is reasonable and necessary is quite different to that officer compared to someone analyzing a video on the news from the confines of their office or home. Officers don’t work under armchair reflections,” Cannarella mentioned.
Carter, an 8-year veteran within the sheriff’s workplace, was charged final week with misconduct in workplace and misdemeanor third-degree assault and battery. The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office launched the video of the October incident after its inside investigation was full and the person and his attorneys watched it with prosecutors.
The man’s lawyer, Marvin Pendarvis, referred to as the proof egregious, and mentioned he is grateful his consumer is alive to inform investigators what occurred.

A nonetheless taken from bodycam footage reveals now-former Charleston County deputy James “Hank” Carter III restraining a suspect, whom he punched within the head at the very least eight instances, in Ravenel, South Carolina, Oct. 21, 2023. (Charleston County Sheriff’s Office through AP)
“What if he had thought he presented a threat and it wasn’t a punch, but it had been a gun?” Pendarvis mentioned.
The man was charged with resisting arrest, failure to cease for blue lights, reckless driving and possession of cocaine. Meanwhile, a warning system the sheriff’s workplace makes use of to evaluation physique digicam and deputy conduct notified inside investigators of doable issues on Nov. 8, and Carter was fired the subsequent day, Sheriff Kristin Graziano mentioned.
On the video, Carter tells the person he thought he was reaching for a weapon in his waistband. The man mentioned he was making an attempt to tug up his pants. The video reveals practically his total backside uncovered as he’s handcuffed.
“You know me personally. Look at me. You know me personally. You know I don’t play with no guns,” the person was recorded saying.
“You think I’m just supposed to wait?” Carter responded.
The physique digicam recording begins with the chase. During the 9 minutes, Carter is heard cussing at different drivers to get out of the way in which and at a dispatcher for making a mistake.
The anger was apparent and spilled into Carter’s actions after the automobile chase ended, Pendarvis mentioned.
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“Whatever happened was wrong leading up to it, but that doesn’t give you the right to go in and attack him,” Pendarvis mentioned. “You never gave him the opportunity to actually surrender himself.”
The video reveals different officers converging on the scene on the finish however an inside investigation decided they weren’t round in the course of the punches. “Carter acted alone,” the sheriff mentioned in a video assertion.
Pendarvis mentioned he desires to see extra investigation of the Charleston Sheriff’s Office as a result of he is not satisfied the sheriff is correct.
“Those who knew about this — those who encouraged this type of behavior — that needs to be investigated and that needs to be investigated immediately,” Pendarvis mentioned.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/sc-officer-fired-arrested-repeatedly-punching-suspect-head-you-enjoy-that-little-nap