‘They’re Yelling At Us’: White Fire Chief and Son Chase Two South Carolina Boys After Teens Turned Around In Their Driveway, Forced Them to Lie on Ground at Gunpoint

A civil lawsuit has been filed against a South Carolina fire chief and his son by the parents of two teens who were chased down and falsely imprisoned by the men in August 2022. The lawsuit alleges that the fire chief unlawfully detained the minors at gunpoint, intentionally inflicted emotional distress, assaulted them, and violated their civil rights. The fire chief and his son deny any wrongdoing, but have admitted to chasing the teens for about 15 minutes and pointing a pistol at them. The mothers of the teens noted that no charges were ever filed after the confrontation.

The boys were scouting out goose-hunting locations along Lake Hartwell when they got lost and needed to find a marker to help them get their bearings. One of the markers where the two decided to make a turnaround was the driveway of Townville fire chief Billy McAdams. McAdams and his son chased the boys from Anderson County to Oconee County, and the teens called 911, explaining they were being chased. McAdams thought the boys were robbers and pulled his weapon out, telling them they were being held because they suspiciously went on his property. (atlantablackstar.com) (scstatehouse.gov)

The teens were still on the call with the 911 officer and said, “They’re yelling at us, and they have guns.” The boys were instructed to “stay in the car and lock the doors,” but the McAdams were making them “get out of the car with guns.” The chief admitted to telling the young men to lie down on the road and forced them to prostrate with a gun. Eventually, McAdams assessed that the individuals he thought were “robbers” were actually minors, and he put his pistol away.

The incident was filed in Oconee County, and a judge found probable cause to issue a warrant to the Anderson fire chief. The case was eventually closed with no resolution. New information prompted law enforcement to reopen the case, and the criminal case will be investigated by the county’s criminal investigations bureau.

Race has been a major political issue in South Carolina in 2023. The state has recently passed the “Clementa C. Pinckney Hate Crimes Act,” which provides an enhanced penalty for certain violent crimes when the offender intentionally selects a victim due to the offender’s belief or perception regarding the victim’s race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical or mental disability. One of the enhanced penalties outside of arrest is a fine of not more than $10,000. (census.gov) Another is an additional term of imprisonment of up to five years.

Not everyone was for the legislation. Anderson County Rep. Thomas Beach said this law actually alienates those not protected and fails to offer equal support. On the other hand, during a debate about passing the hate crimes law, Charleston Rep. (wpde.com) Wendell Gilliard said, “This belongs to all groups of people,” after referencing the 2015 shooting of nine churchgoers killed because they were Black in a local South Carolinian church.