A Beaufort County Sheriff’s deputy has been suspended after a video shared on social media shows him repeatedly pointing a gun at several boys on Hilton Head Island Sunday and threatening to shoot.
Taken in a residential area, the video shows the unidentified deputy, dressed in shorts and sheriff’s office vest, telling the boys to “get on the ground” with his gun drawn. There’s a scuffle for a bookbag which the deputy takes. And, as the boys shout to bystanders to call police, the deputy tells them, “I am the police”.
One of the boys is seen being kicked by the deputy and dragged to the ground by the sleeve of his shirt, while another boy lunges at the deputy to fight back. The video lasts more than a minute and ends with one boy repeatedly screaming for his mom.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s office announced in a social media post Monday that the deputy has been suspended pending an internal investigation and “any possible criminal investigation”. No word on the deputy’s name.
The sheriff’s office is asking the public to share any additional videos or information that could assist in their case.