Travelers Rest police officer 'strip or be tased' case reaches settlement
A civil lawsuit against an ex-Travelers Rest police officer and youth mentor, who was accused of threatening a teen with a stun gun before sexually assaulting him, has reached a settlement.
Attorneys agreed to dismiss the lawsuit earlier this month, according to online Greenville County court records.
The lawsuit accused the city and the police department of negligence and negligent supervision and demanded a trial to seek actual damages for the teen based on pain and suffering, emotional distress and mental anguish, according to the suit.
Former police officer Shawn Jenkins was fired from the police department in 2019 in connection with a Greenville County Sheriff's Office investigation in which he was charged with second-degree sexual misconduct. He was arrested Aug. 20, 2019 and released on bond the same day, according to county court records.
Calls to Jenkins through publicly listed phone numbers were not immediately returned Thursday.
The victim in the criminal case — who was also the plaintiff in the lawsuit — was at the time a 17-year-old who met Jenkins through Greenville County EMS, where Jenkins also worked. Jenkins was also the victim's advisor through the Boy Scouts Post 466 Explorer mentoring program, according to the lawsuit.
On Aug. 5, 2019, the then-teenager went to Jenkins' home in Travelers Rest where Jenkins pointed a stun gun at him and told him to "strip or be tased," he told investigators, according to the lawsuit and a criminal arrest warrant. Jenkins then sexually assaulted him, the lawsuit and warrant state.
Previous coverage: 'Strip or be tased,' former Travelers Rest police officer told SC teen, warrant says
The 17-year-old attempted to run away but the door had been deadbolted by Jenkins, the lawsuit states.
Heather Stone and Kyle White, who represented the then-17-year-old in the civil case, said a settlement was agreed upon by both parties. They declined to comment further. The exact amount of the settlement was not disclosed in court documents based on a confidentiality agreement.
Jenkins' criminal case is still pending, according to the 13th Circuit Solicitor's Office. Jenkins did not have a criminal defense attorney listed in court records as of Thursday.
The Travelers Rest Police Department declined to make any comments related to the case.
Calls were not immediately returned by the State Fiscal Accountability Authority, which overseas the Insurance Reserve Fund that handles settlement payouts for various public agencies in South Carolina.
Tamia Boyd is a Michigan native who covers breaking news in Greenville. Email her at tboyd@gannett.com, and follow her on Twitter @tamiamb.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Travelers Rest lawsuit in 'strip or be tased' case reaches settlement
