… AND KEPT HIS JOB
|| By FITSNEWS || We wrote recently about the case of Berkeley County, S.C. Sheriff Wayne DeWitt – noting that his recent arrest for driving under the influence and fleeing the scene of an accident was just the latest example of the Palmetto State’s chronic “law enforcement lawlessness.”
Well it turns out DeWitt’s indiscretion was much worse than we initially suspected …
Media in Charleston, S.C. have finally got their mittens on the police reports (and dash cam video) from the sheriff’s December arrest … and it’s not good.
In fact we’re shocked DeWitt hasn’t been ticketed for failing to stop for blue lights in addition to the other two charges filed against him.
First of all, here’s the dash cam video …
(Click to play)
(Vid: Via)
As you can see, the video begins with police in hot pursuit of DeWitt, whose truck had just slammed into a Nissan Sentra at 5:45 a.m. – causing extensive damage to the car and injuring the driver, a 21-year-old who was attempting to turn into a Hardee’s fast food restaurant when his vehicle was rear-ended.
In the truck with DeWitt at the time of the crash was an unopened bottle of vodka, an open container of alcohol – and a female employee of Berkeley County who is believed to be one of his alleged paramours.
The dash cam shows DeWitt weaving erratically between lanes in his government-owned Ford F-150 at a high rate of speed – running a red light, swerving around a marked police car and nearly running his vehicle off the side of the road.
“The pickup sped away at speeds in excess of 100 mph, again swerving all over the road and nearly losing control at least two additional times,” the police report from DeWitt’s arrest reads. “The driver never acknowledged his blue lights and siren.”
When DeWitt finally did pull over, he forgot to put the truck in “park” – causing the vehicle to roll forward when he took his foot off of the brake.
“Put the car in park! Put the car in park!” Hanahan, S.C. police officer Justice Jenkins screamed at DeWitt. “Put your foot on the brake!”
Eventually, two officers were able to stop the vehicle’s forward motion and remove DeWitt from the truck – at which point he failed a field sobriety test and was taken into custody.
Was DeWitt thrown in jail?
No … in fact he almost evaded arrest completely.
Rather than being booked and taken to the Berkeley County jail, DeWitt was instead taken to Charleston County’s detention center – where fellow sheriff Al Cannon put him up in an administrative office until his bond hearing.
At that point, DeWitt was released on his own recognizance.
Now … would any of that have happened to an ordinary citizen who drove drunk, crashed into another car and led the police on a high speed chase?
Hell no …
Making matters worse, The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier has attempted to impugn the integrity of Jenkins – the officer who pulled over the sheriff. According to the paper, Jenkins was fired from DeWitt’s office after being ticketed in 2012 for driving with a suspended license.
“The P&C tries to make hay out of the fact that this officer was the one who stopped Sheriff DeWitt, as if he had any input into where and when the Sheriff decided to drink and drive,” the website Charleston Thug Life noted.
Exactly … Jenkins was on his way to work when DeWitt came barreling at him on the road.
Charleston Thug Life added that the Post and Courier and other Lowcountry media outlets are “guilty of covering up the many ‘indiscretions’ of Sheriff DeWitt.”
“The only reason they are reporting on this incident is because a Hanahan officer had the courage to detain the Sheriff and a Trooper had the courage to arrest him,” the website concluded. “Once that arrest was made it was very difficult for the Lowcountry ‘news’ people to ignore it.”
Sad …
Law enforcement exists to safeguard our lives, property and liberty. And the media exist to hold law enforcement accountable. Unless of course you live in South Carolina, in which case all bets are off.
70 comments
But it’s OK. He’s a member of the ruling elite. How dare we question his actions.
It appears his actions have been questioned. He will not come out of this unscathed.
Maybe so, but he’ll have a different kind of justice than the rest of us.
The word “coddled” comes to mind.
You mean the kind Jimmy Metz is going to get?? Seems those days are closer to being over than you think!
He’s still going to get a much lighter sentence than he deserves…the prosecuting attorney is on his side for crying out loud.
This little dog & pony show for Joe Sixpack will resort in a Fed country club stay for no more than a year in the end at worst.
*resort=result
First, they are no longer country clubs!
Second, this is not a felony DUI, so he may not get any jail time, and loose his license for 6 months like the rest of us! unless other charge “requiring” jail time are made.
That being said, I find it all despicable! He has dishonored his dept., his family and himself.
He used the poorest of judgement or he would have stopped when he hit the other vehicle, made nice, and we would not be talking about the incident. Therefore in my opinion, he is not qualified to be a Sheriff. Period!
Yeah,
Cops look after their own REAL good!!!
The older I get the less respect i have for police (as they are today).
Especially the young bucks who are mostly military reject ‘wanna-be’s” and were unpopular assholes during high school and couldn’t make it in a non-government job.
If they wern’t cops they would be flipping hamburgers
You can tell in a New York minute which cops are military veterans and the ones who wanted to be in the service but for whatever reason couldn’t make it and are now cops.
For the most part the young ones who are not military veterans are swaggering assholes (especially the small-town types)
Now, I’m not talking about the female cops. I’ve never met one who was an asshole.
Come to think of it, maybe 75% of the civilian police force should be female.
I’d have no problem with that whatsoever.
Body Cameras and Dash Cameras need to be on whenever an officer is on duty, they need to be uploaded to a cloud and made available for immediate review in real time for the media and any and all oversight agencies, if not the general public.
You would not like a video involving you to be put out immediately for the media or public consumption!
They should be always be reviewed prior to allowing the rabid dogs attack.
“You would not like a video involving you to be put out immediately for the media or public consumption!”
The government already posts mug shots(regardless of innocence or guilt), so video is no big deal and in line with what the government already does.
Any law enforcement that tries to argument back against 100% on the job documentation is a suspect person to start. If they are good LE officers they should embrace the concept of 100% disclosure, it’s liability protection for them.
I disagree!
Mug shots posted are followed by alleged suspect. Huge difference!
I did not say it should not be released, but reviewed prior to the release.
“Mug shots posted are followed by alleged suspect. Huge difference!”
So you make the same disclaimer! It’s a non issue.
“I did not say it should not be released, but reviewed prior to the release.”
Reviewed by who and why? There’s no reason. It is the same as a mugshot, which is publicly released as well. The police are servants to the public and everything they do should be transparent.
As important, is that it be cost effective. There is no reason to pay staff to sit around and review every pip, squeak & fart of every on duty cop all day long. Instead, you upload/stream everything to the cloud and only review it if a problem arises/complaint is filed.
If you demand staff be required to continuously review uploaded cam/mic, you add cost that will kill the deal and give corrupt cops & their bosses a way to argue against the concept via substantially increased cost-and it’s not necessary.
I still disagree! End of discussion!
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Yeah, they post mug shots, but it’s the same favoritism even there. Common folks get a black trash bag wrapped around them to cover their street clothes. Speaker of the house gets prepped, nice suit & tie, big smile, probably had makeup just before the fashion mug shoot.
All that is true, but the “good” from constant recording is far above and beyond all the little “favors” those in gov’t and law enforcement get when they are arrested in terms of protecting the innocent and charging the guilty.
When a complaint arises there is always a record of what happened if there’s constant recording. Any cop that doesn’t like it can go get a different job and any citizen that doesn’t like it need not worry if they aren’t breaking the law.
Most of those complaining about recording on the cops person are cops or associated with L.E.
Disagree; innocent civilians interacting with cops shouldn’t have to endure being broadcast all over the Internet for every nut job to see.
You don’t general access to the uploaded video, you only access it if there’s been a complaint.
private swearing in ceremony are well????
No justice. No peace.
There’s plenty of “justus” going down in this story.
If he was black he might be dead now! And Nikki hasn’t suspended him??!
“If he was black he might be dead now!”
That is exactly what I thought after watching the dash video. It is a miracle the jerk didn’t kill someone while trying to flee.
Note from 2:38 to 3:00 in the video the arresting patrolman already has his weapon drawn.
Cops tend to wonder why a person flees at 100 mph, and may even postulate that the person could pose a threat out on a dark highway.
Yes, by God, he would.
South Carolina has always been a place as long as I can ever remember where it is not what you do, but whom you know that counts. I cannot complain. It has worked in my favor before. But I think it goes on everywhere. The poor paramour. She should sue the officer for reckless endangerment.
So Sheriff DeWitt is okay in your book, huh? LMAO!!!!
“The poor paramour. She should sue the officer for reckless endangerment.”
lmao! I hope that was a joke.
“The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier has attempted to impugn the integrity of Jenkins”
Seriously, how corrupt and immoral is the Post and Courier? Do you think even one reporter working for that rag has second thoughts or regrets?
I’m sure the first qualification required for a job there is the lack of a soul.
Just another day in SC. What else is new?
They are shooting cops down in NYC, thanks to your lord-god Obama…is that what gets you off…you @$$-backward – never been past Pelion – hick…
Just another pointless comment from a South Carolinian. What else is new?
I know you meant another pointless STUPID comment.
South Carolina = stupid. No need to be redundant.
No, you ignorant f&^k. (Notice how I used the symbols in the bad words like you do.)
Obama has nothing to do with this. Police actions have riled the country. Of course that does not matter, right?
Did Obama get involved w/ the Ferguson Police or are you an ignorant F*#k???
He did not. Eric Holder looked into it. Obama made comments of sympathy towards the family. What else was he going to do?
Why do you use symbols in dirty words? You convey the meanings. Is it that appearing to be pure is more important than actually being pure?
Typical authoritarian FUCK!
Dude, it’s a liberal college student trolling everybody. GrandTango is a character.
You represent the intelligence of a Democrat voter well…LMAO….
LMAO!!! Another FITS article, is that what gets YOU off? What an @$$-hole. LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!
That sheriff is a menace to society. It looks like the officer that pulled him was black, kudos to him as I’m sure there was a lot of pressure on him from more than the corrupt Post & Courier over pulling this white, lawless & corrupt sheriff.
I agree with the other poster in regards to the sheriff being lucky he isn’t black, or he’d have been beat in the very least after such a chase and possibly shot.
Calling the sheriff’s actions reckless doesn’t come close to describing what I just witnessed on this video.
24/7 camera/mics on all cops, with no off switch, uploaded to the cloud…it makes everything on the “up and up” for everyone and the few good cops like the one that pulled this guy won’t get hammered over politics as badly.
I wish they had the entire roadside incident, or at least to point of the good Sheriff saying “Don’t you know who I am Boy?!” For everyone posting ALL cops are bad, consider that at least two good ones put his ass in cuffs.
Was he being chased by a dinosaur???..LAMO…This story is ancient…You idiot…
But the media A-Holes NEVER get enough of Bashing Law enforcement, while the drug-addicts, baby-killers and cop murderers they shill for…go un-noticed by American-hating pieces of S#!t like FITS, Sanford, RonPaul and Boz….
Nice work….NOT….The State newspaper is still beating you in Hating the police…and in NYC they are shooting them down like dogs, thanks to jerk-offs like you, Holder and Obama….
So Sheriff DeWitt is okay in your book, huh?
It’s an irrelevant story for such a selective @$$-hole who DOES NOT cover Liberal-Tarian, druggy baby killers in Newberry or cops killed in NYC, with a liberal mayor siding with the Killers…
You have a DISGUSTING brand of selective outrage. You are FILTH in your moral dictates that HATE all who want good.,..while kneeling at the feet of Evil and leftwing monsters who S#!t all over civility….
LMAO!!! Like NYC and DeBlasio hasn’t been covered ad nauseum elsewhere. I guess we need more coverage of it from FITS, then you can really go off on a rant and show pi$$ed you are and what an @$$-hole FITS is for not interpreting it correctly.
LMAO!!! The DeWitt story is a microcosm for bureaucratic officials showing themselves to be above the law. I would think you would be all for that kind of story. LMAO again!!!
“You have a DISGUSTING brand of selective outrage. You are FILTH in your moral dictates that HATE all who want good.,..while kneeling at the feet of Evil and rightwing monsters who S#!t all over civility….”
Change one word, and this fits you exactly.
Never, Never trust Law Enforcement. Always lie or don’t talk until you have an attorney.
You sound guilty.
I am and so are most of the commentators on this blog.
I am and I think most of the comments folks are also guilty. Come on admit you have one or many things which if were public would make you guilty. We could start a Club or Gang.
Except when Tyrone has you cornered in an alley getting ready to @$$-rape you…and then claim you deserve it because his great-great-great-great-great-great-great grand-daddy was a slave, and the gentle giant missed out on college because of officer Wilson…
couldn’t go one single day without anal sex and raping coming up in your comments huh? Your obsessions are blatant and obvious for all to see…you did leave out sucking someone off so i assume it will come up shortly..
Grand Tango, you’re not taking your Meds. Calm down before you have a stroke.
“Calm down before you have a stroke.”
Why? Wouldn’t it be funny as hell for him to stroke out online? I’m not so sure one day we won’t witness his death right in the comment section here at Fits.
“Always lie ”
That advice will get someone in trouble very quickly.
You should just keep your trap shut no matter what if accosted by police. They will press you, trick you, etc. if you open your mouth even once. They deal with shit all day long and are good, but also jaded…so will always assume you guilty. Best to say absolutely nothing no matter how hard they try to get you to say anything.
It’s actually illegal to lie to police, but it’s not illegal for them to lie to you…keep that in mind. You could be innocent, but telling on little lie to them makes you guilty even if the original reason you were accosted was for nothing criminal.
You’re right Saul. My advice is STFU until you have a lawyer.
Usually, I give law enforcement the benefit of my doubt. Not much doubt here on this one.
We have a dreadful history with the Sheriffs in this state. After all, they are just elected politicians, part of a club that would not know the truth if they locked it up. Include elected Sheriffs into the cliches about politicians.
Seriously, don’t delete this.
Kinsley Wentzky is a slut.
Is that cop black? Fuckin’ awesome!
Fucking Cockroach
Well, I’d say that was a righteous stop. They way DeWitt was careening all over the road, he’s lucky Jenkins stopped him before something terrible happened.
“Well, I’d say that was a righteous stop. ”
Has anyone suggested that it wasn’t?
That was sickening.
The cop who was behind the truck acted alertly. By having his gun out and initially standing away from the door he was prepared for any unpleasant action the driver might take. Also he, and the others who arrived, were calmly dealing with this “dude”.
Reminds me if a story I heard about a rising star in Orangeburg…
I want Cannon’s ass and I want this DeIdiot’s badge. And we the people will get them both, one fucking legal way or another. Any one. And I repeat. ANYONE who tries to get in the way of taking these two rogue lawless cops out, you will legally fall with them. We are going to throw every fucking law book at these two copes and any judges or other lawyers or cops who try to stop them both from be thrown on out of office. You better believe it. Enough of this bullshit corruption. Enough!!
Once he stopped,and the cops were out their car,he should have taken off fast.Dumb cop.