South Carolina sheriff who told deputy to shock inmate is found not guilty in civil rights case

FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) — A jury has found a sheriff in South Carolina not guilty of violating a jail inmate’s civil rights when he ordered a deputy to shock the man several times with a Taser. Prosecutors say Marlboro County Sheriff Charles Lemon ordered a deputy to use his Taser to shock the inmate with twice as many jolts as officers are told to use in training, and the sheriff wasn’t trained to use the weapon. Lemon testified in his own defense saying he knew the inmate’s family and had gone to the jail to try to get him into his cell. A defense expert testified that six jolts with a Taser is not excessive if an inmate isn’t complying.