Summerville officers acquitted in April incident involving teen selling palmetto roses

SUMMERVILLE, SC (WCSC) – Summerville police said two of their officers involved in the arrest of a 13-year-old boy outside a Walmart in April have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Ninth Circuit Attorney Scarlett Wilson informed the agency in a letter that Sergeant Kathryn Kirkland and Corporal Dante Ghi were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, Captain Chris Hirsch said.

“I am proud of each and every member of their department for not allowing the incident to hinder their enforcement efforts. Our officers have continued to educate citizens and enforce our city ordinances and state laws on a daily basis,” said Police Chief Douglas Wright.

Kirkland and Ghi arrested the boy on April 1 outside the Walmart on North Main Street. Police said they saw two people selling roses near the store entrance and told them over the PA system to move on because they did not have a business license.

According to police, one of the boys refused and began to verbally abuse the officers. When they tried to arrest the boy, he resisted and punched a female officer in the face, injuring her eye, police said.

The boy, whose name was not released because of his age, was eventually arrested and handed over to his mother. He is facing charges, police confirmed.

Shortly after the arrest, a video of the incident circulated on social media.

The Summerville Police Department's Office of Professional Standards conducted an internal investigation and cleared both officers, but Wright then asked the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to review the situation and provide a “fair and impartial final report.”

Hirsch said SLED completed its investigation on Aug. 14 and referred it to Wilson's office for final review because the boy's prosecution had been taken over by her office's Family Court Division.

“She decided to review the case to determine whether there was a propensity for criminal misconduct on the part of our officers, even though it did not meet the criteria of her office's 'Critical Incident Policy Involving Officers,'” Hirsch said.

Police said the incident allowed them to “proactively engage with the expansion of the Palmetto Artisan Program through intensive conversation and understanding.”

Wright thanked the community for their patience during the investigation into the teen's arrest.

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