Suspended Marlboro County sheriff pleads not guilty to federal charges in Taser incident; ex-deputy to testify against him
FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — Suspended Marlboro County Sheriff Chares Lemon pleaded not guilty and was given a personal recognizance bond Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Florence as he faces excessive force charges related to the use of a Taser on a prisoner.
Lemon is not allowed to leave the state. He also is not permitted to have any weapons at his home. It was determined that he was not a flight risk because he has to take care of a sister he lives with.
A federal grand jury indicted Lemon and former Deputy David Andrew Cook last month, accusing them of using excessive force when they used a Taser on a prisoner at the county’s center in May 2020.
Cook initially had been scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, but, according to Nexstar affiliate WJZY in Charlotte, North Carolina, that changed when he entered into a plea agreement on Jan. 30, just days after the two men were indicted.
In the 13-page plea agreement, WJZY reported that Cook agreed to provide “substantial assistance” to federal prosecutors in their prosecution of Lemon. Lemon faces up to 10 years in prison if he’s convicted.
The indictment alleges that Lemon directed Cook to use a Taser on the prisoner without legal justification. The indictment also alleges the offense resulted in bodily injury to the victim.
Footage of the incident showed Lemon telling his deputy to take off the victim’s handcuffs and use a Taser on his head as he turns around.
The incident also led to state charges against both Lemon and Cook. They faced arraignment on those charges in December 2021. Currently, trial dates have not been set, and according to the federal plea agreement reported by WJZY, the AG’s office has agreed to drop its prosecution of Cook if he follows through with the plea deal and it is approved by a judge.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster suspended Lemon after the incident and appointed former Bennettsville Police Department Chief Larry McNeil as the county’s interim sheriff until the state charges are resolved or until a sheriff is elected in the next general election.
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Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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