Honest Officers Hold BAD COP Accountable For His Actions 🚨👮
Short Produced by TheStreetIntercept
CONTEXT/SUMMARY:
On Jul. 26, 2021, in Orangeburg, SC, 58-year-old Clarence Gailyard was out walking when someone called 911 and falsely reported he was carrying a gun. In reality, Gailyard was holding a stick wrapped in shiny reflective tape that he carried to fend off dogs while on walks. Gailyard is disabled and walks slowly, frequently using a cane due to pins and rods in his leg from a previous accident in which he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle.
Orangeburg Public Safety Officer David Lance Dukes, 38, responded to the call and ordered Gailyard to the ground. Because of his disability, Gailyard was unable to immediately lie flat on his stomach. Rather than allowing him time to comply, Dukes stomped on Gailyard’s head and neck, causing his forehead to strike the concrete of the parking lot. Gailyard suffered a bruise to his forehead and was transported to the hospital by paramedics. The entire incident was captured on Dukes’ body camera.
A second officer on the scene, Officer Aqkwele Polidore, immediately stepped in to de-escalate the situation. When a supervisor arrived, she told him directly that Dukes’ account of events was not truthful and refused to cover for her colleague. Her own body camera footage became a critical part of the case. Gailyard and his attorney, Justin Bamberg, publicly praised Polidore at a press conference, with Bamberg calling for her to receive a formal commendation.
Dukes was fired just two days after the incident following the department’s own internal review of the body camera footage. Days later, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) formally arrested and charged him with felony first-degree assault and battery. It was also disclosed that Dukes had previously been terminated from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office for insubordination. His attorney stated he was fully cooperating with investigators and described it as a difficult and unfortunate situation.
The city of Orangeburg moved swiftly in the aftermath. The police chief retired shortly after the incident. The interim chief launched a full review of the department’s use-of-force policies, and the city announced the creation of a civilian oversight group to monitor how officers interact with the public. Orangeburg officials also issued a formal apology to Gailyard. By November 2021, the city agreed to a $650,000 settlement, covered by the city’s insurance, to resolve Gailyard’s civil claims. Attorney Bamberg noted it was rare to see a city so quickly accept responsibility and take concrete steps to prevent future incidents.
CREDIT:
Orangeburg Department of Public Safety, SC
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