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by WILL FOLKS
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A former Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) deputy who was suspended and later terminated following an off-duty incident in his suburban South Carolina neighborhood last month is now facing criminal charges.
William Paul “Billy” Squires, 41, of Hilton Head Island, S.C., has been charged by agents of the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) with four counts of pointing and presenting a firearm and one count of aggravated breach of peace in connection with the September 28, 2025 incident – which was captured on video.
An alleged co-conspirator, 47-year-old Brian Henry Stahlheber of Hilton Head Island was charged with aggravated breach of peace and making a false complaint to a law enforcement officer.
Squires is heard repeatedly shouting “Get on the ground!” and “Get down!” while motioning toward his weapon.
When one juvenile reached toward a bookbag, Squires screamed, “get the fuck on the ground!” He then grabbed the youth by the arm, spun him around, and kicked at his legs in an apparent attempt to restrain him.
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“Call the police!” one of the teens shouted to a bystander.
“I am the police,” Squires responded.
When one of the juveniles attempted to assist his friend, Squires pulled his weapon again, shouting, “I will shoot you,” while waving the weapon back and forth between the teens. He then aimed the firearm directly at the youth holding the camera, who had not intervened.
According to a probable cause affidavit accompanying SLED’s warrants for Squires’ arrest, he was “under the influence of alcohol while off-duty” at the time of the incident.
“He failed to identify himself as law enforcement, did not report the incident to dispatch before engaging and escalated the situation by drawing and pointing his duty firearm without a reasonable basis or legal justification for doing so,” the affidavit signed by agent Peter Rudofski noted.
A subsequent affidavit noted Squires’ actions precipitated “a disturbance of public order,” and were “dangerous and disorderly.”
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(Facebook)
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BCSO immediately opened an internal investigation into the incident and suspended Squires without pay – relieving him of his credentials, badge, county-issued weapons and equipment on the spot. On Friday, October 3, 2025 – less than a week after the incident – sheriff PJ Tanner terminated Squires for what he referred to as “a host of policy violations.”
Tanner also noted Squires refused to submit to a breathalyzer examination to determine the extent to which he had imbibed alcoholic beverages prior to the incident.
“That’s insubordination,” the sheriff said of Squires’ refusal to take the test. “That’s not tolerated.”
Squires also failed to activate his body-worn camera as required by department policy.
“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 – he did not,” Tanner said. “The body camera was on the vest, but it was not activated.”
As for Stahlheber, who was also “under the influence of alcohol” at the time, he allegedly harassed the teens leading up to the incident – and ultimately “physically restrained one juvenile and applied choking pressure, all while contributing to a volatile scene that escalated community alarm.”
Stahlheber also claimed in an interview with BCSO deputies that he observed “an extended handgun magazine” on one of the teens – which he later admitted he “never saw.”
Squires and Stahlheber booked on these charges at the Beaufort County detention center at approximately 7:48 a.m. EDT on Tuesday morning (October 28, 2025). According to a news release from SLED, his case – and the charges against Stahlberger – will be handled by S.C. first circuit solicitor David Pascoe, who operates a public integrity unit with S.C. fourteenth circuit solicitor Duffie Stone.
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In addition to the criminal charges Squires is facing, a civil lawsuit was filed against him, Beaufort County and five John Doe defendants last Wednesday (October 22, 2025) in connection with the “brazen and unlawful incident.” According to that complaint (.pdf), Squires “launched an unprovoked assault on several teenagers lawfully walking along a street in Hilton Head Island.”
Squires was “visibly intoxicated and abusing his authority under color of law,” the complaint alleged.
After having “deliberately enlisted neighborhood vigilantes to assist him,” Squires “drew his service weapon, and pointed it at the unarmed teenagers, forcing them to fear for their lives,” it continued.
“Video evidence captures the teenagers being held at gunpoint, physically assaulted, violently thrown to the ground, unlawfully detained and searched without any legal basis,” the complaint further noted.
This is a developing story… please check back for updates.
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RELEASE/WARRANTS…
(SLED)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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2 comments
What did the teens do or what were they alleged to have done that kicked this mess off? In two stories I have read about this incident on here, that bit of information has been absent each time.
It only Took a Month to Charge this Former BCSO Officer! If it was any other member of the General Public they would have Been Arrested That Day! PJ ius NOT a Leader! He spends More Time Golfing with Rich Friends on HHI than working at the BCSO!!! He needs to be Investigated for Crimes he and Mike Hatfield have Committed!!