A police chief in the Midlands was arrested. Here’s why he was charged
The chief of a police department in the Midlands was arrested Monday, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said.
Elloree Police Chief Shawn Edward Murphree was charged with malicious injury to personal property (injury value $2,000 or less), SLED said in a news release.
The 54-year-old was locked up in the Orangeburg County Detention Center, according to the release. Bond was set at $1,000 and was posted Monday, Orangeburg County court records show.
The charge stems from an Oct. 31 incident when Murphree was seen vandalizing a pickup truck, according to an arrest warrant.
A 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 was parked at the Orangeburg County Courthouse when surveillance cameras recorded Murphree “intentionally scratching the paint with an unknown object,” the arrest warrant said.
Information about why Murphree damaged the pickup was not available, but he and the truck owner knew each other prior to the incident, the arrest warrant shows. There was no word on the nature of their relationship.
The cost to repair the damage caused by Murphree was $1,216.15, according to the arrest warrant.
Murphree will be prosecuted by the 1st Circuit Solicitor’s Office, SLED said. He is scheduled to return to court on Dec. 14, judicial records show.
Information if Murphree faces any discipline from the town of Elloree was not available.
“The Elloree Police Department is dedicated to the safety of our community through teamwork and problem solving partnerships; providing service with dignity and respect,” according to a mission statement on the town’s website.
