Attorneys release video of stun gun incident at Marlboro County Detention Center; sheriff, deputy charged

**WARNING: The video and the details of the video may be disturbing to some viewers**

MARLBORO COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – The attorneys for a man who investigators say was repeatedly shocked with a stun gun at the Marlboro County Detention Center have released body camera video of the incident.

It led to criminal indictments to be filed against now suspended Marlboro County Sheriff Charles Lemon and former deputy David Cook.

In May 2020, Jarrel Johnson was brought in on assault charges, according to the sheriff’s office.

The video that was sent to WMBF News, which shows two minutes and nine seconds of the incident, starts with Johnson being brought into the detention center and is handcuffed.

In the background, the attorneys for Johnson claim Lemon can be heard ordering someone to take the handcuffs off Johnson and then says to Cook, “when he turn around, stick that taser to his head” and “pop it to him.”

The video shows the handcuffs are taken off Johnson and he turns around and appears to try to run away and that’s when he is shocked with a stun gun.

In the video, a deputy, it’s not clear if it’s Cook, is heard telling Johnson to get up, and Johnson looks to be going into a cell, but another person, who appears to be a corrections officer, starts to close the door, stopping Johnson from getting in the cell.

The video shows Johnson sitting on the ground while he is being yelled at and told to get up.

A deputy is heard yelling in the background saying, “I’m going to light you up.”

Then in the video, the sheriff is allegedly heard saying, “pop it to him,” and the stun gun is deployed again.

The next part of the video, which WMBF News has chosen not to show, shows Johnson laying on the ground naked with people yelling at him to get up and get in the cell.

The video shows Johnson trying to get up, but the trigger on the stun gun is held down, which produces a continuous flow of electricity, and Johnson falls back to the ground.

In the video, Johnson makes it back into the cell, but the trigger of the stun gun can be heard and Johnson can be seen convulsing on the floor and the video ends.

Following an investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division, a grand jury indicted Lemon and Cook on charges of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and misconduct in office.

Due to the charges, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster suspended Lemon and appointed Larry McNeil to be the interim sheriff for Marlboro County.

Cook is no longer employed in law enforcement.

The two have arraignments scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Florence County Courthouse where they will enter their pleas in the case.

Johnson’s attorneys say he continues to get treatment following the incident.

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