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Former Colleton County Sheriff Robert A. “Andy” Strickland Jr. has been arrested and charged with domestic violence for a second time, according to law enforcement records.
Already on probation for misconduct in office, assault and battery in the third degree and breach of trust with fraudulent intent, Strickland was arrested by deputies of the Bamberg County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) this past weekend.
According to multiple incident reports provided by sheriff Kenneth J. Bamberg, Strickland allegedly “slapped [his girlfriend] in the face and pulled [her] hair out” during an argument on Saturday, February 15, 2025.
“[His girlfriend] also stated that she attempted to call law enforcement earlier in the morning but could not due to Strickland slapping the phone out of [her] hand and not giving it back,” noted BCSO deputies that afternoon.
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Detained before 1:00 p.m. EST, Strickland was charged with second-degree domestic violence and transported to the Bamberg County detention center. While it remains unclear as to which magistrate set Strickland’s bond, he was released from custody expeditiously.
Strickland’s charges have yet to be posted to the state’s public index, while the detention center told FITSNews they “don’t have” his (latest) booking photo.
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? #BREAKING: Former Colleton County Sheriff Robert A. “Andy” Strickland Jr. has been arrested and charged with domestic violence for a second time, according to law enforcement records.
— Andrew Fancher (@RealAndyFancher) February 19, 2025
Already on probation for misconduct in office, third degree assault and battery and breach… pic.twitter.com/ICuTucSXcI
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In 2019, Governor Henry McMaster suspended Strickland after he was arrested by agents of the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for punching his wife “in the face, with a closed fist, more than once, which caused moderate bodily injury.”
Months later, he was indicted by a state grand jury on multiple public corruption charges. He faced a total of 15 counts related to misconduct in both Horry and Colleton County — where he had served as elected sheriff since 2012.
For misconduct and breach of trust, judge R. Markley Dennis Jr. sentenced Strickland to five years, suspended upon the service of five years’ probation. The sentence also included 200 hours of community service and random drug and alcohol testing.
As part of his plea agreement, Strickland resigned as sheriff and permanently relinquished his law enforcement credentials.
According to sheriff Bamberg, Strickland’s latest case will be prosecuted by the office of S.C. second circuit solicitor Bill Weeks — who has earned a reputation for going easy on high-profile defendants.
This story may be updated.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
(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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3 comments
Strickland needs to be held accountable, jailed for more than a few hours and stripped of the ability to ever work in law enforcement again!
This article is filled with a bunch of lies.
Innocent until proven guilty.
He was stripped of his law enforcement credentials and is no longer an officer. Please don’t let your hatred of the badge cloud your reporting, Andrew. Every good officer out there hates bad officers just as much as you.