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The chief of police of Easley, South Carolina resigned from his office one day after being suspended in connection with an incident involving an admitted racial slur.
Stan Whitten stepped down due to the fallout from the incident which occurred on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at Mile Creek Park on Lake Keowee in Pickens County, S.C. According to an incident report (.pdf) obtained from the Pickens County sheriff’s department, Whitten called a Hispanic man and his family “fucking spics” during an altercation at a boat ramp.
The altercation has been described by some as a brawl, although it does not appear as though that description is entirely accurate. According to responding law enforcement officers, it appears as though Whitten fell down as he was walking away from one of the individuals he accosted during the disturbance.
(Click to View)
A responding deputy noticed ” a strong smell of alcohol” coming from the police chief following the altercation and that his “demeanor throughout the investigation suggested he had (consumed) a considerable amount of alcohol.”
“He was appearing to nearly fall while at his truck, and then held onto the (truck) bed for a considerable amount of time,” the report noted.
Whitten admitted to the responding officer that he had used the slurs. He also admitted to “having some beer,” but claimed he had not consumed alcohol to the point of inebriation.
Why did he use the slurs?
“Because I can,” he said, according to the responding deputy.
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Both Whitten and his daughter were reportedly involved in the incident, which began when the Hispanic man asked Whitten if he would pull his truck up so they could leave the boat ramp.
At that point, “Whitten got out of his vehicle and immediately started yelling profanities at them,” according to the man. His fiancée – who was cleaning the boat as the incident unfolded – confirmed Whitten was “calling (us) spics and was flashing a badge” as he yelled profanities.
Seven children between the ages of one and sixteen were on the boat. According to the incident report, they were “very scared” because Whitten “would not stop screaming racial slurs at them.”
One of the 9-1-1 calls – placed by an off-duty park ranger – captured the tail end of the incident.
(Click to listen)
(Via: Pickens County Sheriff’s Office)
As the dispatcher inquired as to Whitten’s safety, the ranger advised her it was the police chief who was the instigator of the incident.
“He’s the one causing it,” the ranger told the dispatcher.
In the background, Whitten can be heard telling someone “you’re going to jail, buddy,” accusing them of committing “assault and battery.”
Whitten had served as police chief of Easley since April 12, 2021. Prior to that, he was military police officer, U.S. Army investigator, Easley firefighter and Greenville County deputy. As we reported earlier this week, Easley mayor Butch Womack requested a copy of the body-worn camera video containing Whitten’s admission of using the alleged racial slur as part of his city’s inquiry into the matter.
Easley police major Jon Hamby will serve as interim chief.
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THE REPORT …
(Via: Pickens County Sheriff’s Office)
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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 seven children.
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