Police: SC state trooper fired, charged in shooting unarmed man

After my review of the facts surrounding this matter, I have determined that Mr. Groubert's actions rose to such an extent that his employment with us must be terminated. The facts of this case are disturbing to me, but I believe this case was an isolated incident in which Mr. Groubert reacted to a perceived threat where there was none.  The department's Use of Force Policy makes clear that officers shall use "only the level of force necessary to accomplish lawful objectives" and that "the use of force must be discontinued when it becomes apparent to the officer that the force is no longer needed." That protocol was not followed in this case.

Further, this incident occurred in broad daylight. Mr. Groubert had a clear and unobstructed view of Mr. Jones. While Mr. Groubert was within the law to stop Mr. Jones for a safety belt violation, the force administered in this case was unwarranted, inconsistent with how our troopers are trained, and clearly in violation of Department policies. These violations demonstrate behavior that deviates from SCDPS standards and cannot be tolerated.