A South Carolina sheriff’s deputy with nearly 20 years of experience has been dismissed shamefully after he was caught pointing a loaded gun at teenagers in his neighborhood, supposedly while under the influence of alcohol.

William ‘Billy’ Squires had been a deputy with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office since 2005.

Squires lost his job on Friday morning following an internal investigation that uncovered multiple policy breaches, such as insubordination, inappropriate use of force, and being visibly intoxicated in public with a weapon.

The incident unfolded last Sunday in a Hilton Head neighborhood, where Squires lives.

Witnesses and video evidence examined by sheriff’s investigators showed that Squires, who was off-duty and not in uniform, got involved in a dispute among teens and brandished his service weapon without lawful cause or following proper procedures.

In the video, Squires can be seen aiming his gun at three teens in turn. Each of them appear terrified as no explanation is given as to why they are being held at gunpoint and forced to lie on the ground.

‘Looking at that video, it was appalling to see, and I can also see how the average citizen sees that video and just goes into shock as to what they see.’ said Sheriff P.J. Tanner, who confirmed the firing and publicly condemned the incident. 

Tanner said the department took swift disciplinary action and formally requested the revocation of Squires’ state law enforcement certification with the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. 

‘Bad decisions have consequences,’ Tanner said. ‘And unfortunately for Squires, this is the consequence.’ 

According to Tanner, Squires refused to submit to a breathalyzer test when fellow deputies suspected he had been drinking. The refusal in itself constituted insubordination.

‘That’s not tolerated,’ Tanner said bluntly. ‘We have a standing policy: you do not police your own neighborhood. Just don’t do it,’ he explained. 

‘And you surely don’t get involved in any kind of police action if you’ve been consuming alcohol.’

In another breach of protocol, the body-worn camera Squires was issued which was attached to his vest was not activated. 

‘Once he put on that vest and started acting in the capacity as an on-duty officer, then he’s required to have his body camera on,’ Tanner said.

A criminal investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is now underway, and could result in charges against the former deputy. 

‘Additional consequences may be coming,’ Tanner said, declining to speculate further in order to preserve the integrity of the SLED investigation.

He emphasized that internal affairs and criminal investigations follow separate legal standards. 

While sheriff’s office employees are compelled to answer questions under administrative rules, SLED’s criminal probe must observe Miranda rights and due process. 

‘There’s always three sides to every story,’ Tanner said. ‘There’s the truth, there’s a lie, and somewhere in the middle, you’ll find facts. And we’re fact finders.’

Tanner said Squires had served in the department for 19 years, with ‘very few’ incidents in his personnel file. The sheriff himself had hired him in September 2005.

‘My 45 years in law enforcement and almost 27 years as sheriff – nothing really surprises me,’ Tanner said. ‘I mean, I hate to say it that way, and I’m not downplaying this in any manner, but what I saw was horrible.’

Tanner also stressed how the majority of his deputies uphold the values of public service, but that common sense sometimes falters. 

‘I would like to say, and I think I’m probably 99.9% sure that most of the employees at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office are blessed with common sense. Sometimes things happen and that common sense is just not working as good as it should, and it leads them into areas to make bad decisions,’ he said. 

‘And again, bad decisions have consequences, and you know, unfortunately for Squires, this is the consequence.’