A white 38-year-old South Carolina police officer David Lance Dukes has been arrested and charged with first-degree assault and battery after bodycam footage showed him stomping on a nearly 60-year-old Black man’s head.
The incident in question happened on July 26, when Dukes responded to reports that there had been sightings of someone with a gun nearby. Clarence Gailyard, age 58, and his cousin Demario Julian were walking home when they were approached by officers with guns drawn. Gailyard attempted to get down to the ground, but because of previous leg and hip injuries he took longer than the officers liked. That’s when Dukes appeared to stomp on Gailyard’s head as his hands and knees were on the ground, as the bodycam footage shows.
As per the Times and Democrat of Orangeburg, attorney Justin Bamberg explained that Clarence Gailyard walks with a stick and is “relatively slow.” At the time of the incident, he was carrying his walking stick, which he has used for a number of years. “I saw Dukes get out of the patrol vehicle with a gun drawn. He had the gun drawn back. He could’ve killed me,” said Gailyard.
Dukes has been fired following an investigation into the incident. “Officer Dukes then approached the victim, who was on his hands and knees,” reads the A.S.C. Law Enforcement Division warrant. “While the victim was in a defenseless position on his hands and knees, Officer Dukes raised his right leg and forcibly stomped with his boot on the victim’s neck and/or head area. The force of the blow caused the victim’s head to strike the concrete. The victim suffered a contusion to his forehead and was transported by EMS.”
Bodycam footage of the incident has been released online, although viewer discretion is advised:
Dukes’ lawyer Jack Furse said his client has fully cooperated with state police on the case.
“This is a difficult situation and an unfortunate situation,” said Furse. “He has absolutely no violent history and he’s not a proclivity to violence.”
Dukes was held on $10,000 bond following his arrest.
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