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by WILL FOLKS
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Months after police in the Palmetto Lowcountry launched an investigation into the questionable circumstances surrounding his controversial 2024 arrest, the son of a prominent South Carolina attorney, businesswoman and ex-politico has filed an expansive lawsuit in connection with the incident.
Hampton Templeton, son of former two-time state agency leader and gubernatorial/congressional candidate Catherine Templeton, is suing the town of Mount Pleasant, S.C. and two members of its police force alleging he was falsely charged with felony assault last year.
“The Mount Pleasant Police Department — an institution sworn to protect liberty — instead became the instrument that destroyed it,” the complaint alleged.
According to the lawsuit, filed this week in Charleston County, the case is about “deliberate indifference and malicious prosecution by the very officers entrusted with protecting the truth,” officers the pleading described as “arrogant, malicious, and incompetent.”
Specifically, the named defendants – Mount Pleasant police chief Mark Arnold and detective Cooper Upson – “targeted the son of a political candidate during a national campaign, hid the truth, withheld and destroyed evidence, maliciously escalated a misdemeanor to a felony with no probable cause, then perpetuated the prosecution by lying to the court,” the complaint alleged.
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“Defendants destroyed, buried, and failed to disclose evidence of innocence that would have cleared Hampton while fabricating a story of violence for the community, court, and press then locking him in his home during the most important years of his young life,” the complaint (.pdf) further alleged.
Upson, in particular, “ignored, suppressed, or destroyed body camera recordings, 911 calls, hospital records, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) documents, and eyewitness accounts that not only proved Hampton’s innocence, but affirmatively and directly proved Defendant Upson’s sworn statements were false,” the complaint added.
Hampton Templeton’s lawsuit accused the named defendants of Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment violations including malicious prosecution, invasion of privacy, false imprisonment and arrest, unlawful seizures – and accused the town of negligent supervision, negligent training and negligent hiring, among other causes of action.
All defendants were further accused of the “intentional infliction of emotional distress,” and of violating Templeton’s rights by forbidding him from posting on social media about his case as a condition of his bond.
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The complaint seeks a jury trial and actual damages, special damages, consequential damages and treble damages – as well as punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.
FITSNews exclusively reported on Hampton Templeton’s arrest – which took place during the heat of his mother’s unsuccessful bid for the S.C. first congressional district seat held by incumbent Nancy Mace. More recently, however, we exclusively reported that 42-year-old April Monroe – the mother of Hampton Templeton’s alleged victim, Dallas Monroe – was being investigated by the Mount Pleasant Police Department (MPPD).
MPPD originally closed its underlying assault case involving Hampton Templeton in early 2024 with no charges being filed. That investigation concluded Monroe’s son was the “primary aggressor” at a high school party involving multiple witnesses and individuals.
MPPD’s initial investigation found no probable cause to arrest anyone else, including Templeton.
Two months later, however – after Catherine Templeton announced her run for Congress – the document claimed Monroe approached a new MPPD detective and allegedly lied to him on more than a dozen occasions about injuries to her son that medical records indicate did not substantiate. Condon’s report suggested Monroe also withheld medical evidence that could have exonerated Templeton in her interactions with police.
According to a voluminous report (.pdf) provided to the agency by former S.C. attorney general Charlie Condon, Monroe should face felony charges for obstruction of justice and filing a false police report.
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“Monroe falsely reported, mislead, and misinformed MPPD about the injuries to her son while knowingly withholding medical records from MPPD about which she was fully aware and that were within her control at all times relevant to this matter,” Condon’s report noted. “April Monroe’s false report to MPPD caused a felony charge (to be filed) against Mr. Templeton.”
Templeton’s lawsuit buttressed this claim, accusing Upson of acting with “hubris, malicious intent and deliberate indifference” in pursing a criminal case against him – a case the complaint alleged was based on the inexperienced detective “fabricating non-existent medical injuries.”
As of this writing, no charges have been filed against Monroe. However, the original charge against Templeton – which had previously been reduced to a misdemeanor after questions about the extent of Dallas Monroe’s injuries were brought to light – has now been dropped altogether.
“While it is not the state’s position that no crime occurred, we do not currently have sufficient evidence to proceed with prosecution,” a memorandum in support of dismissal from the office of S.C. first circuit solicitor David Pascoe noted.
The memorandum (.pdf) added that while Mount Pleasant police originally had probable cause to obtain an arrest warrant in the case, “additional discovery requested revealed that the state cannot meet the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”
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Templeton was represented on the criminal charge by Manning, S.C. attorney Shaun Kent.
As for Monroe, she has vehemently denied misleading police in connection with their investigations.
“I unequivocally deny the allegations in filing a false police report to the best of my ability,” she said in a statement provided to FITSNews. “My son and I have been fully cooperative, communicative, and honest with Mount Pleasant Police Department throughout this investigation and to Deputy Chief Kelly LaPlante of 1st circuit solicitors’ office.”
“I am hopeful the truth behind these misguided assertions will be revealed, and authentic facts will be brought to light,” Monroe continued. “This misleading narrative perpetuated will be formally addressed. Enough is enough..I assure you I will not be deterred by any tactics employed by the Templeton Family during this legal process.”
Monroe added she was “done being silenced” and would “no longer allowing the Templeton Family to spin the narrative in their favor.”
To read her full statement, click here (.pdf).
FITSNews has reached out to the town of Mount Pleasant in the hopes of receiving a response regarding the complaint filed by Templeton. In the event we receive a reply from the town, we will update our coverage accordingly.
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THE COMPLAINT…
(S.C. Ninth Judicial Circuit)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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8 comments
What is it about Charleston area police and sheriff’s departments that makes me skeptical of anything they do?
Or any in this state for that matter?
Honestly it is always in the back of my mind any time the child of a politician gets criminal charges or is otherwise involved in something heinous that the politician themselves will claim their poor little angel, who never did a bad thing in their life, was set up by evil cops who clearly don’t understand the JustUs system enough to let their perfect baby get away with anything and everything.
Maybe the dude is innocent. Maybe he’s a monster. I’m not about to take the word of mom or dad for gospel on that though.
Wonder if the other person in the race had anything to do with this in some way. Her current behavior makes me think that may be possible.
So many punchable faces in this story
From a news article on another charge that was dismissed by the same office
“Jail records show this is Templeton’s second arrest. He was first arrested by the MPPD in September 2023 on the charge of pointing and presenting firearms at a person. The charge was dismissed this January.
According to the affidavit, a woman contacted the MPPD on Sept. 4, 2023, about a road rage incident at the traffic light of the intersection of South Shelmore and Johnnie Dodds Boulevard. The woman told the officers that a suspect, later identified as Templeton, tailgated her, threw a bottle at her vehicle, and pointed a firearm at the vehicle while her children were inside.
The affidavit says officers located Templeton’s vehicle the following day in the neighborhood where they were told the road rage incident began. Templeton admitted to being involved in the road rage portion of the incident.
On Jan. 25, the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office dismissed the pointing and presenting firearms charge on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to convict.”
The faster this kid can get into a 12 step program the better. He has been told he is special his whole life, the faster. He figures out that he is not, the less likely he will hurt himself or someone else.
“The faster this kid can get into a 12 step program the better.”
What I’ve always heard: 12 steps will save you from 6 feet.