Man gets 40 years for murder over dance floor bump

ST. MATTHEWS, S.C. (AP) — A 27-year-old Orangeburg man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing a man who bumped into him on the dance floor of a Calhoun County nightclub.

The Times and Democrat of Orangeburg reports (http://bit.ly/10rsgyj ) that a jury found David Benjamin guilty Thursday of murder.

Authorities say 23-year-old Dominique Lawton was shot in the head in September 2011 outside the Piggy Park nightclub near Elloree.

A judge sentenced 26-year-old Josh Haggood to seven years in prison as part of a plea deal after he testified against Benjamin.

A third defendant, 27-year-old Kevin Frasier, is awaiting trial. Prosecutors say he fired his gun in the air several times, which started the gunbattle that killed Lawton.

Investigators found more than a dozen shell casings in the club’s parking lot.