Sometimes police officers make mistakes, and that was unfortunately the case in the arrest of a South Carolina man who was mistakenly held in jail for almost a month. Police arrested and charged the Rock Hill resident with armed robbery, but now police admit they have another suspect in mind.
The case illustrates how faulty police work can lead to innocent people being charged with crimes.
In this case, a 34-year-old man learned that police suspected him of robbing a CVS pharmacy. He even went to the police station to turn himself in, expecting that the confusion would be cleared up shortly. But not so: he was incarcerated for weeks and not allowed to see his 15-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter.
At least in part, the false arrest appears to have resulted over confusion about the man’s vehicle. Police in Rock Hill indicated that the new suspect’s vehicle is similar to the one driven by the man who was mistakenly arrested.
A police dog was also used to identify the wrong man. According to police, the dog led officers to a home, where a person apparently blamed the wrong person for the crime. The witness is known to the innocent man’s family, but they don’t know why he would claim their loved one committed a robbery.
Before they arrested him, police in Rock Hill publicly identified the innocent man as the suspect. But according to his family, he was 100 miles away, in Darlington, when the robbery occurred.
A major aspect of our criminal defense practice is to protect against situations like the one described here. If you are interested in learning more about defending against criminal charges, then please visit our Myrtle Beach criminal defense site. Our firm works with clients to protect their rights and freedom.
Source: charlotteobserver.com, “Family: Criminal justice system failed man falsely accused in robbery,” Aug. 4, 2013