McLeod Law Group Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Colleton County Sheriff’s Office in the Shooting Death of William “Jerry” Crosby

Press Release

The McLeod Law Group, on behalf of the Estate of William “Jerry” Crosby, today filed a Summons and Complaint in the Colleton County Court of Common Pleas for the untimely and wrongful death of life-long Walterboro resident Jerry Crosby.

As alleged in the filed complaints, on Sunday evening May 1, 2022, Jerry Crosby was a law-abiding citizen who was asleep at his home in Colleton County where he had a constitutional right to privacy and to be free from unnecessary governmental interference. Despite Jerry’s inalienable constitutional rights, Cpl. Jacob Scott came onto Jerry’s property without a warrant, without an invitation or without other lawful authority.

Once on Jerry’s property, Cpl. Scott peered through windows, canvassed his home then forced entry into the home through a sliding door on the second-floor screened porch. After Cpl. Scott’s unlawful entry, he found Jerry in bed where Jerry repeatedly told Cpl. Scott he was fine and to get out of his house. Cpl. Scott, however, refused to leave and lured Jerry out of bed. Once out of his bed Cpl. Scott shot and killed Jerry in the privacy of his own home.

Attorney W. Mullins McLeod, Jr., said, “It is due time that agencies like the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office learn to respect the constitutional rights of the citizens they claim to serve. We will not rest until this wrong has been righted.”

As alleged in the filed complaint, where the government’s sole interest is preventing harm to a citizen of the community, using force likely to harm that person is manifestly contrary to the government’s interest in that interaction.