Sheriff Remains Silent on Graphic Video of Deputies Shooting Dog With Shotgun

What occurs when a sheriff’s deputy is caught on digicam capturing docile animals together with his department-issued shotgun? In South Carolina, he’s recommended by superiors and bestowed an award.

While the supposed animal cruelty incident was recorded on body-worn and dash-mounted police cameras, it seems as if this proof was hid and forgotten by personnel of the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) … till now.

Last month, FITSNews was offered roughly two minutes of graphic footage that’s — dare we are saying — an abhorrent instance of presidency overreach and animal cruelty. Unless, after all, you condone the haphazard deployment of shotguns upon harmless canines throughout service calls.

In this courtroom of pubic opinion, we encourage you — “the jury” — to fastidiously overview the proof and resolve what ought to occur to LCSO lieutenant Timothy Byrd and animal management sergeant Geoffrey Brown.

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“SHOOT ON SIGHT”

On December 17, 2022, a frightened 92-year-old lady known as Laurens County emergency providers to report three dogs loitering about her yard. She knowledgeable the operator her goat had died three days prior, and that the unattended animals have been gunning for its carcass.

“I’m really afraid to go outside,” the senior citizen stated throughout her fleeting dialog with dispatch — timestamped at 8:49 a.m. that Saturday. “They’re just big ol’ dogs. And they’re just out here in my back yard, going in and out of this little shed that goes to where the goat was.”

The lady was transferred to animal management’s answering machine and subsequently left a message, per recordings obtained via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Within thirty minutes, the girl’s son known as the identical emergency service line and spoke with the identical dispatch operator. He instantly requested permission to shoot the dogs as animal management providers have been unavailable till Monday morning.

“I know one of them’s a German Shepard and it has a collar on,” he exclaimed throughout his recorded dialog with dispatch. “They’re probably somebody’s pets, or some kid’s pets … I just don’t want my momma to go out that door, which I done told her!”

Dispatch knowledgeable the caller of his constitutional rights earlier than — in the end — contacting the singular animal management unit on-call. The officer in query? Purported animal rights advocate, LCSO Sgt. Brown.

(Click to view)

In mid-2020, Brown turned a deputized sergeant after Laurens County council authorized sheriff Don Reynolds’ request to take over animal management — and provide its staff with ammunition and arresting energy.

“Since I have taken office, we have increased arrests involving animal cruelty by 240 percent,” Reynolds stated at the time. “Animal control has done a good job under the supervision of … Geoff Brown. We will continue together as one. The Laurens County Sheriff’s Office will not tolerate animal neglect or cruelty. Period.”

Within months of the amalgamation, No Kill South Carolina and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) have been lauding Brown for his overthrow of a puppy mill, eradication of canine hoarding and ceaseless denunciation of animal cruelty.

Hold your applause, although … there’s extra to this story.

When dispatch notified Brown of the dogs at subject on this explicit morning, he one way or the other acknowledged them as an elusive pack of “dangerous animals running at large.” Or a minimum of that’s what he titled them in an incorrectly dated incident report obtained via FOIA.

“The city’s supposed to know about this … It’s been authorized to shoot on sight,” Brown stated throughout his recorded dialog with dispatch, which was offered to FITSNews. He then instructed emergency providers to deploy the Laurens Police Department (LPD) and kill as many of those “dangerous” canines as potential.

“If they only get one [dog]that’s one that’s put down and I’ll remove it,” continued Brown from the confines of his home in Kinards. “I will be on my way. It’s going to take me a minute to get dressed and get there.”

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THREE DOGS, ONE BUCKSHOT BLAST …

At 9:29 a.m., LPD was dispatched to the 92-year-old’s property with specific orders to shoot and kill the dogs with out consequence. Upon arrival, although, the responding LPD officers evaluated the scenario and refused this order.

“As I walked around the residence, I saw a beige in color dog that had a collar around his neck,” one LPD officer wrote in his precisely dated incident report. “While waiting on animal control from Laurens County Sheriff’s Office to arrive on scene, all three dogs were laying on the ground in the back yard.”

Simply put, LPD refused to shoot the dogs as they have been stationary and docile amid oncoming squad vehicles and bustling officers. That is, till Byrd and Brown arrived …

“Lieutenant Byrd and sergeant Brown exited their vehicles without making contact with myself or sergeant Willard,” continued the LPD officer. “Lieutenant Byrd had his shotgun in his possession. When both Laurens County deputies approached the dogs, all three were still laying on the ground.”

As body-worn and dash-mounted police cameras explicitly reveal, Byrd and Brown nonchalantly walk in direction of the dogs earlier than stopping roughly 30 yards (90 ft) from the place the animals have been sunbathing.

Byrd takes a knee and casually mounts his 12-gauge shotgun whereas Brown shields his ears from the eminent blast. He racks a buckshot and pulls the set off.

“[Byrd] shot the larger beige collared dog with his shotgun,” concluded the LPD officer. “All three dogs at this time took off running in different directions. The injured collared dog limped away into the woodline yelping. Neither Lieutenant Byrd nor Sergeant Brown made contact with the complainant while I was on scene.”

Take a glance …

(Click to view)

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SWEPT UNDER THE BADGE …

Five months after Byrd was captured on digicam firing his department-issued shotgun right into a docile canine, the deputy was honored by his fellow brothers and sisters in blue.

On May 24, 2023, Byrd acquired the celebrated Laurens County Officer of the Year Award throughout a extensively publicized ceremony at Piedmont Technical College (PTI). Sheriff Reynolds spoke on the service in reward of Byrd.

(Click to view)

“Lieutenant Byrd is a dedicated employee to this office,” Reynolds stated in the course of the ceremony. “He is reliable and shows great strength of character. I am proud of Byrd and his efforts to be compassionate to victims and bring justice to criminals.”

In cased you missed the protection, you possibly can watch Byrd’s FOX Carolina interview herelearn his GoLaurens headline story hereor click on via his Who’s On The Move characteristic here.

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IN CLOSING …

“The conduct is horrific,” stated Chelsea McNeillthe general public defender for the S.C. eighth judicial circuit and a longtime board member of the Humane Society of Greenwood. “You don’t shoot at docile animals with a shotgun from 30 yards away. It’s disgusting, it’s despicable and it’s animal cruelty. That’s what this is.”

At the course of the courtroom, McNeill’s workplace represents financially indigent defendants throughout Greenwood, Newberry, Abbeville and Laurens County. She instructed FITSNews that LCSO has generated “hundreds” of animal cruelty instances since deputizing Sgt. Brown — greater than any company inside her circuit.

“And because they’re trying to prosecute my clients, I’m interested in what they are doing,” McNeill stated. “And if they are acting in a way that is kosher, okay. But if they are acting in a criminal manner themselves, then their credibility is shot and that needs to be exposed to juries.”

Following her 11-month investigation into the canine capturing incident, McNeill concluded Brown and Byrd are — at a minimal — responsible of felonious animal cruelty. Her living proof? That a civilian can be arrested for doing the very same factor below the very same circumstance.

“Yes, they should be charged,” declared McNeill. “And yes, they should be defendants. And yes, they should be arrested … And yes, they should go through the public humiliation of having their names slandered in the news — just like they slander other people in the news for far less than what they have done.”

As with any company accused of misconduct, we reached out to LCSO and knowledgeable them of the movies and incident stories inside our possession. Despite our requests for clarification and remark — initially despatched on November 15, 2023 — our outlet acquired no response.

Within that timeframe, FITSNews visited the LCSO and county animal shelter twice. We unhurriedly filmed amongst squad vehicles and deputized personnel for the exhaustive video portion of this report. Even then, not a phrase from past the badge.

“If you stand by your officers actions, then I think you would come out and say something,” concluded McNeill. “But the fact that you’re remaining silent means that you know that you f*** up.”

If you understand of instances just like this one in your group that deserve investigative scrutiny, please attain out to this media outlet. We’re not solely dedicated to exposing nefarious exercise inside authorities — however compelled to carry our public servants as accountable as they maintain the general public.

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THE RECEIPTS …

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the primary of his household to graduate school which was completed with honors. Got a narrative concept or information tip for Andy? Email him immediately and join with him socially throughout Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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