Clarence Gailyard was stepped on while handcuffed on the ground.
On Tuesday, a Black man who was violently assaulted by an Orangeburg, South Carolina, police officer chose to speak out for the first time.
According to an arrest warrant, David Lance Dukes, 38, stomped on a man’s neck and head while the victim lay in a “defenseless position” on the ground. According to the affidavit, Dukes used a gun to force the victim to the ground.
The victim’s head struck the concrete as a result of the blow, resulting in a contusion that put the man in the hospital.
The officers were investigating reports of a man with a gun on Monday afternoon, according to the Orangeburg Department of Public Service. SLED has not stated whether the victim was involved in the initial call.
According to his lawyer, Justin Bamberg, police did not find a gun at the scene.
“When officer David Dukes goes and stomps on the back of Mr. Clarence’s head as he lay on the ground completely defenseless, the attitude that he shows is a reflection of the leadership,” Bamberg said, demanding the release of the full police body camera footage. “And what we see is bad policing and unacceptable policing.”
Dukes is being held at the Orangeburg County Detention Center on first-degree assault and battery charges. The 1st Circuit Solicitor’s Office will prosecute the case.
