Former Pee Dee sheriff found not guilty by jury in federal case of excessive use of force

FLORENCE, SC (WMBF) – After a nearly week-long federal trial, a former Marlboro County sheriff has been found not guilty by a jury.

After being acquitted of the charges, former Sheriff Charles Lemon spoke about how grateful he was that the trial was over.

“I can't say enough, all I can say is thank God, thank God, thank God, thank God, I'll probably go to sleep and thank God,” Lemon said.

The prosecution and defense made their closing arguments Monday afternoon in the case against Lemon, who is accused of violating civil rights after investigators say he ordered one of his officers to use a Taser six times on an inmate at the Marlboro County Detention Center.

Back in May 2020, Jarrel Johnson was arrested by officers after allegedly brutally beating his father with an aluminum bat.

Lemon claimed Johnson followed him at the detention center, prompting the sheriff to order a deputy to taser Johnson multiple times, all of which was captured on a body camera.

During the trial, prosecutors questioned Lemon's training history. Witnesses took the stand and said that while the sheriff's office did not go over policies on the use of Tasers, it did go over other policies, such as social media use.

A member of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy also testified, saying that during training, police officers are instructed to only use a Taser on someone three times. Johnson was shocked with a Taser six times.

Meanwhile, a State Law Enforcement Division lieutenant and Taser instructor stated that Lemon never had Taser certification and should not have ordered the deputy to use the Taser.

When it was the defense's turn to call witnesses, law enforcement consultant Ray Nash Jr. was called to the stand.

Nash said Lemon was well within his rights to order the use of a Taser six times.

He added that this was the only way for MPs to reach agreement in this situation.

He also pointed out that Johnson was accused of a violent crime and that using a taser was their only option to subdue him.

Lemon testified Monday and spoke about his past with the inmate's family. He said he has known the Johnson family for 34 years and was good friends with Johnson's father. He also claimed he took a stricter approach because Johnson did not want to go to the prison cell.

After only an hour of deliberation, the jury decided to acquit Lemon of the only charge against him.

Lemon's criminal record is now clean after the South Carolina Attorney General's Office agreed in March to drop charges against him.

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