A South Carolina sheriff’s deputy with almost 20 years in service has been dismissed after disgracefully pointing a loaded gun at teenagers in his neighborhood while allegedly intoxicated.
William ‘Billy’ Squires had been a deputy with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office since 2005.
Squires was terminated on Friday morning after an internal investigation uncovered multiple policy breaches, including insubordination, improper use of force, and being publicly intoxicated while armed.
The incident unfolded last Sunday in a Hilton Head neighborhood, where Squires lives.
Witnesses and video evidence, examined by the sheriff’s department, revealed that Squires, who was off duty and not in uniform, intervened in a teen dispute, drawing his weapon without legal reason or following proper protocol.
The video shows Squires aiming his firearm at three teenagers individually. The teens appear scared as they’re offered no explanation for why they’re being held at gunpoint and forced to lie on the ground.
“Seeing that video was shocking, and I understand how the public must feel watching it in disbelief,” said Sheriff P.J. Tanner, who confirmed Squires’ dismissal and openly criticized the incident.
Tanner stated that the department acted quickly in disciplining Squires and formally requested that his state law enforcement certification be revoked by 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.’
