By Police1 Staff
COLUMBIA, S.C. — An off-duty Richland County Deputy has been fired and charged with assault after he attempted to arrest a female soldier at a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant.
The bystander who took the video says that plainclothes officer Paul Derrick, 49, had been drinking prior to the arrest, according to WBTW.
Video does not capture what lead up to the arrest, but a police report says Derrick – a former Marine—approached Brittany Ball, a 23-year-old plainclothes Army solider, who appeared upset. The two discussed the Marines and the Army and Derrick went to his car to retrieve his handcuffs.
It is unclear why Derrick thought Ball needed to be restrained.
One officer who viewed the video said Derrick can be heard saying “This is how Marines deal with soldiers.”
Derrick was initially placed on leave without pay for the October 7 incident, according to WIS-TV.
Sheriff Leon Lott decided to terminate Derrick after meeting Tuesday with prosecutors and Columbia’s interim police chief.