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SLED: Officer Fired and Arrested After Stomping Man in Head

Scott Morgan
/
South Carolina Public Radio
FILE

A police officer in Orangeburg has been fired and arrested after stomping the head of a man who was on his hands and knees causing his head to hit concrete, South Carolina authorities said.

Orangeburg Department of Public Safety Officer David Lance Dukes is charged with first-degree assault and battery in the attack on July 26, according to a warrant from the State Law Enforcement Division.

Dukes ordered a 58-year-old man who walks with a stick to the ground, but he moves carefully because he has pins and rods in his leg from a previous injury, attorney Justin Bamberg told The Times and Democrat of Orangeburg.

"Because of my client's disability, he's relatively slow," Bamberg said.

The man suffered a bruise to his forehead and was taken to the hospital by paramedics, according to the arrest warrant.

Dukes' lawyer said he fully cooperated with state police and is taking the case seriously.

"This is a difficult situation and an unfortunate situation," Jack Furse said. "He has absolutely no violent history and he's not a proclivity to violence."

Orangeburg Public Safety officials said Dukes, 38, was fired after their own review of the incident, which was captured on a body camera.

Bamberg said he hopes the city will release that footage.