Community advocate alleges use-of-force and biased policing; council says SLED is investigating

Lanika "Shelley" Williams, a local community advocate and CEO of For the People Advocacy Group and national director of operations for Racial Justice Network, addressed the Florence City Council at its June meeting to describe an April 26 traffic stop involving her 26-year-old son that she says escalated into excessive force and misinformation by officers.

Williams said her son was stopped in their suburban neighborhood for a traffic violation and that officers "dragged and slammed" him. She said officers did not read her son his rights, did not provide their names when requested, and that a supervisor performed poorly. Williams said she was present during the stop, that she was threatened during the encounter, and that she later had to call a third-party officer to clarify events.

"My son was stopped in our suburban neighborhood in his sports car for traffic violation, and that escalated into my son being dragged and slammed by officers," Williams told council. "These officers displayed lack of training, lack of empathy, lack of common sense, and lack of decency. Not to mention they were downright liars." She played a short excerpt of video for the council but was advised by the presiding official that her time was nearly expired.

Williams raised broader concerns about department practices and racial disparities in policing. She reported April stops and arrests that she said exceeded totals for Florence County, Lake City and the highway patrol combined for that day, and provided counts she attributed to city records: "10 black men, 6 or 7 black females, 1 Hispanic male, and 1 Hispanic female." She said, based on her review, that Black residents are stopped and arrested "2 to 3 times more than their counterparts." Williams also said city staff had told her a policy required arrest when a person's license showed suspended in the system; she said subsequent meetings with the mayor, chief and captain revealed no written policy to that effect.

The mayor and other council members acknowledged Williams' concerns and said the city had referred the matter to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) because the city cannot investigate itself. In public comments, a council speaker explained: "When we call for an investigation of the city, the city can't investigate themselves. That's why SLED was brought in." The mayor said the council must await the outcome of the independent investigation and could not provide details while it is pending.

Williams said she has not received the investigation's findings, expressed concern about alleged harassment she says followed her complaint (officers driving past her house and appearing at places she frequents), and asked what the council could do to ensure accountability and prevent similar incidents. Council members urged patience for the investigation to run its course and reiterated that they could not comment publicly on an open investigation.

No formal council action was recorded on the record at the meeting; councilmembers asked staff to allow the investigation to proceed and to report back as appropriate.

Speakers on the record regarding this item included Williams and the mayor; Williams identified herself in the meeting as an advocate with more than 30 years of community service and said she works with local youth and low-income residents. City officials confirmed SLED involvement and said the city would not provide investigatory details while SLED's process is underway.

Williams asked for accountability measures and asked whether further remedies, including civil action, would be necessary if she and her family continued to experience harassment.