Mom of Hilton Head boy held at gunpoint by off-duty deputy files federal lawsuit
The mother of a boy who was held at gunpoint by an off-duty Beaufort County deputy last month has filed a federal lawsuit against the now-fired officer, the sheriff’s office and a group of unidentified neighbors who took part in the tense encounter on Hilton Head Island.
Filed Friday by north-island resident Laquesha L. Habersham, the lawsuit refers to the Sept. 28 event as a “brazen and unlawful incident” and a “shocking abuse of power” by former Master Sgt. William “Billy” Squires. It claims he violated the constitutional rights of the three teens involved.
Squires, who lives in the Squiresgate neighborhood on north-end Hilton Head where the incident took place, was immediately suspended without pay and ultimately fired from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office by the end of the week. A criminal probe into his actions by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is ongoing.
The group of three 14-year-old boys, one of whom lives in the neighboring Chinaberry Ridge community, were walking on Squiresgate Road around 6:30 p.m. when they were approached by a neighbor on an ATV and later by the off-duty officer.
Court documents describe the events that thousands saw unfold in a set of viral videos: Squires pointed his loaded service pistol at the teens and threatened to shoot, grabbing one boy by the arm and struggling with him in the roadway.
The lawsuit says Squires “enlisted” the help of several “neighborhood vigilantes” — named in the lawsuit as John Does 1-5 — to help restrain the boys on the pavement. Neighbors also helped to hold down one boy’s older brother who ran to the scene, recordings showed, and Squires later handcuffed one of the boys.
Cellphone videos taken by the teens show Squires and the neighbors accusing the group of having a gun. A report later filed by the sheriff’s office to the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy said police did not find a weapon in the area.
The lawsuit in South Carolina District Court accuses Squires and the unnamed neighbors of assault and battery, excessive force, false imprisonment, illegal search and seizure and multiple violations of BCSO policies. It does not specify the dollar amount of damages being sought.
Court documents also claim Squires was “visibly intoxicated” during the encounter. In an Oct. 3 media briefing held shortly after the deputy was fired, Sheriff P.J. Tanner said Squires initially refused to take a breathalyzer test but eventually admitted to consuming alcohol.
Squires joined the sheriff’s office in 2006 and had a “fairly clean” disciplinary record prior to last month’s incident, Tanner said. He was promoted to the rank of master sergeant in March of last year.
This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 3:53 PM.
