A South Carolina police chief resigned Thursday following an off-duty altercation with a family at a county park.
The resignation comes just five days after the incident involving Easley Police Chief Stan Whitten, WYFF reported. Jon Hamby, a major within the Easley Police Department (EPD) and a member of the force since 1998, has been selected to assume the role of interim police chief.
Easley Police Chief Stan Whitten resigned from his position days after he yelled racial slurs at a group of people, including children as young as 1 year old, while apparently drunk at Lake Keowee.https://t.co/oslUhIf8vV
— The Post and Courier (@postandcourier) June 16, 2023
According to incident reports, law enforcement deputies were dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of a “fight in progress” shortly after 5:00 p.m. The altercation involved Whitten, his daughter and her boyfriend, as well as another man, his wife and their children. (RELATED: Absolute Chaos! Over 60 People Brawl After Floyd Mayweather Vs. John Gotti Fight Forced To Stop)
Reports note that Whitten admitted to consuming alcohol prior to the incident, and that hes used profanity and racial slurs while engaging with the other family, reported WYFF.
The man who drew Whitten’s ire “stated that they asked Whitten if he would pull his truck up so they could leave the boat ramp and Whitten got out of his vehicle and immediately started yelling profanities at them,” Deputy Timothy Striss wrote in his report, noting that the victim “had 7 children on the boat and they are Hispanic and Whitten would not stop screaming racial slurs at them.”
The victim’s fiancé told Striss she was cleaning the boat when an intoxicated man called her racial slurs and flashed a badge. She was then approached by Whitten’s daughter who struck her in the mouth and scratched her stomach.
Two 911 calls were also made public, and the intense shouting of men can be heard in the background. One caller was an off-duty park ranger who got out of the shower because he heard the commotion.
The city made an announcement on Wednesday stating that Whitten had been suspended due to a “personal personnel problem,” according to WYFF. Whitten’s career in law enforcement stretches back to 2007 when he served with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. He was hired as Easley’s police chief in April 2021.
EPD did not immediately respond to Daily Caller’s request for comment.