Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012

AIKEN CTY., S.C. -- A lawsuit against the Aiken County Sheriff's Office has been dismissed, as of Wednesday.

The case against the Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Michael Hunt, several other deputies and a SLED agent has been dismissed.

Jeffery Nation was arrested in 2008 for assault and battery against Lorenzo Williams, a man he was arresting.

The Sheriff's Office fired Nation and then Nation sued the Sheriff's Office. His patrol car's dash cam caught it all. Nation says the teen he was arresting head-butted him while he was trying to make the arrest, but SLED agents say that did not happen and that dash cam video showed otherwise. Nation was not found guilty of assault.

Cpt. Troy Elwell released the following statement:
"The Aiken County Sheriff's Office attended court-ordered mediation in Columbia today on the lawsuit filed by Jeff Nation.

The Aiken Sheriff's Office has maintained that it acted properly throughout this suit and that its actions in dismissing Jeff Nations from the Sheriff's Office after he wrongfully confronted Lorenzo Williams in September 2009 were just and proper. We have stood united in our belief that we would prevail in this suit.

At no time during this process did the Aiken Sheriff's Office ever make any offer of settlement to Mr. Nations or his attorney. In fact the Sheriff's Office, its attorney Mr. Robert Garfield, the County Attorney Mr. Lawrence Brown, County Risk Manager Mrs. Ruth Gordy as well as the counties' re-insurance carrier have all been united in their believe that we acted properly and would prevail should this case ever have gone to trial.

During today's mediation hearing, Mr. Nation and his attorney made an offer to settle the case. The Sheriff's Office refused any settlement agreement other than the case being dismissed with prejudice.
After lengthy discussion, Mr. Nation and his attorney William Davis, Jr. Esq. agreed and signed documents voluntarily dismissing the suit against all Sheriff's Office personnel, thus ending this lawsuit.

The Sheriff's Office insurance carrier agreed to split the cost of today's mediation process and we have agreed to waive any right we may have to pursue any civil litigation against Mr. Nation in the filing of this lawsuit."