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Editor’s Note: This is a news analysis.
A longtime officer with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) will face no legal consequences after instructing a dispatcher to deliver “false information” to another officer, according to records submitted by the agency.
As for how this largely unclear matter even became known, SCDNR set the story in motion by issuing a vague Facebook post acknowledging the officer’s separation last month.
More specifically, on March 12, 2026, the agency wrote that 1st Sgt. Stephen Bryant — who had been with SCDNR since June 2013 — had been terminated after an internal investigation found “violations of agency policy and conduct unbecoming.”
SCDNR did not, however, offer additional details about its findings, stating only that its officers are “expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity and honesty” and that failure to meet those standards “will not be tolerated.”
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?? SCDNR OFFICER FIRED AFTER MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS
— Andrew Fancher (@RealAndyFancher) April 6, 2026
A longtime officer with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (#SCDNR) will face no legal consequences after instructing a dispatcher to deliver "false information" to another officer, according to records… pic.twitter.com/8UBeI20ARx
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It was not until Bryant’s records were pulled from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA) that his underlying conduct came into slight focus.
According to information provided to the SCCJA — which was no more detailed than the agency’s Facebook post — Bryant’s supervisor wrote that he “directly told a SCDNR dispatcher to deliver a false boating call to another officer” on February 2, 2026. The specifics of the call were not detailed.
And that’s it…
The same supervisor, SCDNR officer Eric Martin, made sure to note that producing false information and involving another employee constituted both policy and “ehtics” violations.
And yes, he misspelled “ethics.”
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RELATED | SCDNR OFFICER CHARGED WITH DUI
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The same grammatically incorrect documents filed by Martin make clear, too, that no arrest, investigation or criminal charges are pending against Bryant. Thus, a precedent has now been set in which an officer can provide false information, involve another employee, and face little to no apparent consequence… unless they’re caught.
Bryant was subsequently terminated for reasons involving misconduct and lost his law enforcement certification on March 12, 2026, five days before SCDNR announced his separation on Facebook.
At least one additional Facebook user has made clear that Bryant will not be quietly forgotten, alleging across multiple public posts that both the disgraced former game warden and “two of his officers” lied on “multiple occasions.”
“I’m not done yet,” the user wrote on Facebook last month. “I want all the crooked officers involved held accountable… I have video on my phone from every incident, the written statements, and the court recordings. I’m not done yet!”
FITSNews will be monitoring any developments related to those claims.
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Per SCDNR, Bryant was formerly assigned to Region 3, which, according to local reports, includes Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Clarendon, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda and Sumter counties.
A cursory search indicates SCDNR recognized Bryant as “Officer of the Year” at a banquet bearing the same name in 2019, an honor that included at least three plaques and two trophies, with governor Henry McMaster serving as keynote speaker.
The following year, the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Palmetto State Chapter named Bryant “Officer of the Year.” He later received an “Outstanding Dedication” award related to boating under the influence enforcement from the state’s Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) chapter.
All of it now rendered meaningless.
Write to Andrew Fancher at andy@fitsnews.com.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy Award–winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. He joined FITSNews in 2023 after leaving an NBC affiliate, where he served as on-air talent. His reporting focuses on public corruption in South Carolina, with an emphasis on law enforcement misconduct and abuse of power.
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1 comment
Based on the number of “officer of the year”s that Andy has exposed, it should probably be a rule of thumb going forward that a thorough investigation of every nominee should be mandated.