CRIME & COURTS

Deputy Arrested For Wielding ‘Personally Owned Firearm’ On Duty

“I’m not your regular cop…”

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A former deputy of a Lowcountry, South Carolina law enforcement agency stands accused of first-degree assault and battery and misconduct in office following an on-duty incident last October, according to probable cause affidavits accompanying a warrant for his arrest. 

Citing agents of the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Donavon Quentin Sanders – formerly of the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) – brandished his “personally owned firearm” during a heated argument on October 8, 2024.

The deputy was wearing an HCSO uniform at the time of the alleged incident.

“We live in a county where people will complain if you scratch your ass the wrong way,” wrote the HCSO deputy in a Facebook post preceding the incident. “Some people… will gripe and complain about first responders wasting their tax dollars, whatever that means.”

Sanders, per separation paperwork from the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA), failed to document his use of force “or any related events” from the October 2024 outburst. The following week, he befell a SLED investigation at the request of his then-employer.

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“I’m not your regular cop,” continued the deputy in a poorly-aged status update. “I will get petty and cuss your ass out respectfully. Instead of including yourself in stuff that doesn’t concern you, try minding your business because some of you don’t even pay taxes.”

After submitting to a SLED polygraph, the irregular cop appears to have returned to HCSO’s uniformed patrol division amid pending charges. According to state filings, neither his law enforcement certification nor his employment was affected for three months.

On January 2, 2025, Sanders’s career took a turn for the worse when he was “summoned” to submit a resignation letter. The native of Estill, S.C., was thereupon ordered to surrender his duty weapon, patrol vehicle, police badge and HCSO equipment.

The morning after “resigning” for reasons involving misconduct, the former deputy was placed in handcuffs and booked into the Hampton County detention center. Within the afternoon, he posted a $5,000 personal recognizance (PR) bond set by county magistrate Marion Fairey.

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South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. SCCJA. Driving under the influence. DUI.

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By all accounts, Sanders was the first law enforcement officer charged by SLED in 2025. News of his arrest was consequently added to our Badges Gone Bad series — where Palmetto State officers are recognized for their ceaseless commission of crime after crime after crime after crime.

“Common sense is not too common, I reckon,” concluded Sanders last September. “But I digress.”

In August 2024, FITSNews researcher Jenn Wood sat down with newly-elected HCSO Sheriff Anthony Russell as part of our ‘Rebuilding Hampton‘ series. During Wood’s interview, Russell noted chronic budgetary restrictions limiting equipment upgrades and personnel expansion.

“We got men and women here that work hard day-in, day-out,” said Russell at that time. “I just want them to know if we fail, if we lack in response time, by all means, don’t hold that against the sheriff. I’m only doing what I can possibly do with what I have.”

This story may be updated.

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THE RECEIPTS…

(SLED)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Andrew Fancher reporting for mainstream media in January 2023. (Jeff Diamond)
Andrew Fancher in Mitchell County, N.C.
(Dynal Nolan/FITSNews)

Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the first of his family to graduate college which was accomplished with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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