Family of Burned 6-Year-Old Says They Want Justice
Former Sheriff says the Department "Did Their Job"
CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO)- Former Clarendon County Sheriff Randy Garrett says the Sheriff’s Office thoroughly investigated an incident that left a 6-year-old boy with second-degree burns in October of 2016. The 6-year-old’s family, however, is not satisfied.
According to a Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office incident report, an 11-year-old lit the 6-year-old on fire in Alcolu, S.C. The department says the boy was charged with aggravated assault and first-degree battery.
“We investigated it, after the investigation was complete, we brought charges against the now 12-year-old, and now everything is pending in the solicitor’s office,” said former Clarendon County Sheriff Randy Garrett.
Th victim’s family is now speaking out with local civil rights leaders and the National Action Network, saying they want more severe punishment for the child that allegedly lit the fire.
“90 days of house arrest, we don’t want that. We want justice, and we want this young white male who sat this black male on fire to be charged with the fullest of that heinous crime,” said Elder James Johnson of the South Carolina National Action Network.
The victim’s family said they reached out to the former sheriff for help. “I was told by the sheriff that I was not supposed to be able to speak out about this because of the election and he would not be able to protect me,” said the victim’s mother, Leslie Brown.
Garrett said, “She didn’t talk to me. There’s never been any mention of telling someone not to contact the media.”
The new sheriff in town, Sheriff Tim Baxley, said he’s willing to listen to both sides of the story. Baxley says the case is still pending in family court.
