Sheriff fires deputy accused of pointing gun at teens, ‘appalled’ by the viral video
A nearly 20-year deputy with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office has been fired after pointing a gun at teenagers while off duty and then refusing to take a breathalyzer test, the sheriff announced Friday morning in a press conference.
Master Sgt. William “Billy” Squires, who joined the department in 2006, was terminated Oct. 3 after an internal affairs investigation concluded he committed multiple policy violations, including insubordination. Squires was placed on unpaid leave following the Sept. 28 incident, where the deputy pointed a department-issued weapon at a group of teenagers in a Hilton Head neighborhood.
Videos of the incident also quickly spread on social media, sparking outrage among some Beaufort County residents. It raised questions over who can walk where, how communities handle safety and the use of police force — especially when directed at children.
Sheriff P.J. Tanner ordered the on-scene command duty officer, Lt. Craig Washington, to take Squires to the local Hilton Head sheriff’s office for a breathalyzer test following the incident. Tanner said Squires refused the test, a decision that prompted his immediate suspension without pay and ultimately, his firing. Squires was also stripped of his badge, service weapon and service vehicle.
Despite the deputy’s refusal to consent to a breathalyzer test, he eventually did admit to consuming alcohol, Tanner said.
Sheriff P.J. Tanner said the incident triggered an immediate internal affairs probe and an investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which is looking into possible criminal violations. The state agency is expected to relay their findings to the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office by the end of next week, Tanner said.
When the probe is complete, investigators and attorneys from the Regional Public Integrity Unit — a partnership between two judicial circuits that focuses on prosecuting public corruption — will decide “if criminal charges are appropriate,” according to a press release earlier this week.
Squires’ personnel file was described as “fairly clean.” Records show a handful of minor car collisions and one internal investigation in 2016 that was deemed unfounded. In 2021, a complaint of excessive force during a traffic stop was reviewed but found no policy violation.
Squires’ law enforcement certification has already been referred to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy for possible revocation. Squires does have the right to appeal.
Tanner said there are always three sides to every story, but was “appalled” by what he saw on the video.
Tanner ran through the long list of policy violations committed by Squires during and after the neighborhood dispute:
- Failure to obey a lawful order by refusing to submit to the data master test, in other words a breathalyzer test.
- Conducting himself in an unprofessional manner that did not project public respect.
- Being under the influence of alcohol in a public place with impaired judgement.
- Engaging in actions that brought discredit and ill repute upon the department.
- Attempting or unlawfully arresting regarding a neighborhood dispute without clear threat of bodily injury or death.
- Failing to deal with the community in a manner that instills respect for law enforcement.
- Consuming alcohol while armed in an off duty capacity.
- Presenting a firearm for an unlawful purpose outside of use of force policy.
- Using force and presenting a firearm without reasonable suspicion or probable cause.
- Attempting to arrest/ detain juveniles without justification.
- Failing to contact the on-duty supervisor about the call.
- Failing to advise the Communication Center about the event.
- Not activating the body camera while wearing his department-issued vest.
This story was originally published October 3, 2025 at 1:20 PM.
