A South Carolina sheriff’s deputy with nearly two decades of service has been fired in disgrace after pointing a loaded firearm at teenagers in his own neighborhood – all while allegedly under the influence of alcohol.
William ‘Billy’ Squires had been a deputy with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office since 2005.
Squires was fired on Friday morning after an internal investigation revealed several policy violations, including insubordination, misuse of force, and appearing intoxicated in public while armed.
The incident unfolded last Sunday in a Hilton Head neighborhood, where Squires lives.
According to witnesses and video evidence reviewed by sheriff’s investigators, Squires, who was not on duty and not in official uniform, intervened in a dispute involving teens and drew his service weapon without legal justification or proper protocol.
In the video, Squires can be seen aiming his gun at three teens in turn. Each of them appear terrified as no explanation is given as to why they are being held at gunpoint and forced to lie on the ground.
‘Looking at that video, it was appalling to see, and I can also see how the average citizen sees that video and just goes into shock as to what they see.’ said Sheriff P.J. Tanner, who confirmed the firing and publicly condemned the incident.
Tanner said the department took swift disciplinary action and formally requested the revocation of Squires’ state law enforcement certification with the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.
William ‘Billy’ Squires, left, a deputy with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office since 2005 has been fired in disgrace after pointing a loaded firearm at teenagers in his own neighborhood – all while allegedly under the influence of alcohol
‘Bad decisions have consequences,’ Tanner said. ‘And unfortunately for Squires, this is the consequence.’
According to Tanner, Squires refused to submit to a breathalyzer test when fellow deputies suspected he had been drinking. The refusal in itself constituted insubordination.
‘That’s not tolerated,’ Tanner said bluntly. ‘We have a standing policy: you do not police your own neighborhood. Just don’t do it,’ he explained.
‘And you surely don’t get involved in any kind of police action if you’ve been consuming alcohol.’
In another breach of protocol, the body-worn camera Squires was issued which was attached to his vest was not activated.
‘Once he put on that vest and started acting in the capacity as an on-duty officer, then he’s required to have his body camera on,’ Tanner said.
A criminal investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is now underway, and could result in charges against the former deputy.
‘Additional consequences may be coming,’ Tanner said, declining to speculate further in order to preserve the integrity of the SLED investigation.
He emphasized that internal affairs and criminal investigations follow separate legal standards.
During a press conference, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said he was ‘appalled’ by the footage of the incident
While sheriff’s office employees are compelled to answer questions under administrative rules, SLED’s criminal probe must observe Miranda rights and due process.
‘There’s always three sides to every story,’ Tanner said. ‘There’s the truth, there’s a lie, and somewhere in the middle, you’ll find facts. And we’re fact finders.’
Tanner said Squires had served in the department for 19 years, with ‘very few’ incidents in his personnel file. The sheriff himself had hired him in September 2005.
‘My 45 years in law enforcement and almost 27 years as sheriff – nothing really surprises me,’ Tanner said. ‘I mean, I hate to say it that way, and I’m not downplaying this in any manner, but what I saw was horrible.’
Tanner also stressed how the majority of his deputies uphold the values of public service, but that common sense sometimes falters.
‘I would like to say, and I think I’m probably 99.9% sure that most of the employees at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office are blessed with common sense. Sometimes things happen and that common sense is just not working as good as it should, and it leads them into areas to make bad decisions,’ he said.
‘And again, bad decisions have consequences, and you know, unfortunately for Squires, this is the consequence.’
