SC deputy used racial slur on Instagram. Now he’s apologizing, facing discipline
A Jasper County Sheriff’s Office deputy is facing disciplinary action after he used a racial slur in a social media post, which the Sheriff called an “an error in judgment.”
Letters from Sheriff Chris Malphrus and the deputy, who was not named in the post, were published on the department’s Facebook page Thursday evening.
In the deputy’s apology letter, he said he had suffered back injuries in a vehicle collision on June 18 that confined him to his bed and couch for more than a month. During one of his first outings since the crash, he posted a photograph on social media “chronicling the adventure” with a caption that “used a word that has been taken as a racial slur,” he wrote.
The Island Packet reported on a deputy-involved crash on I-95 that day, and Bluffton Today later identified the deputy as Lt. Doug Byrd.
A screenshot obtained by The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette shows that Byrd, a white man and 30-year law enforcement veteran, posted a photo of himself on a personal Instagram account with the caption “I escaped from the asylum #n---aonaboat #thisisgonnahurt #f---itholdmybeer.”
The account the photo was posted to appears to have been deleted.
The deputy also wrote in his apology that he was disappointed in himself, and “as the step-father of 2 bi-racial children, I should have known that using these words would be, not only socially unacceptable, but detrimental to my character.”
Sheriff Malphrus wrote that the deputy’s post was “uncalled for and inappropriate” and “will not be tolerated.”
The disciplinary actions taken, according to Malphrus’ letter, include the deputy being demoted and suspended without pay, followed by an extended probation; receiving a pay cut; having to complete required remedial training and counseling; and his administrative vehicle being replaced with a marked one.
“While this deputy’s comments were uncalled for and against our department standard, it is believed to be an error in judgment,” Malphrus wrote. “I would like to ensure that our deputies are working hard to create a safe environment for our citizens while building community relationship, but admit that we are human and make mistakes such as these.”
Three calls to Malphrus seeking comment Friday were not immediately returned.
Hours before the apology was issued, Elvin Speights, a community activist in Charleston, posted a screenshot of Byrd’s Instagram post on Facebook calling for the Sheriff’s Office to take action.
After seeing the post, Speights tried to contact Malphrus and Jasper County council members, he told The Island Packet in a phone interview Friday.
He said he never heard back, but saw the apology on Facebook later that day.
“The apology is definitely accepted, but the damage has already been done,” Speights said. “In the black community, we already have a distrust in the police force, so when you see (a post like) that, it doesn’t help the relations at all.”
Speights said “more needs to be done” than just one deputy being disciplined, such as requiring sensitivity training.
“We’ll be watching to see what happens,” he said. “We can’t defeat racism and bigotry divided. We have to come together on the same accord.”
This story was originally published July 26, 2019 at 2:26 PM.
