Another law enforcement officer charged with drunken driving…
A South Carolina ranger has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of a criminal DUI charge, according to a spokesperson for the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).
On August 30, 2024 SCDNR employee Walter Patrick Cleary was arrested by a Charleston Police Department (CPD) officer. Come 12:36 p.m. EDT, the Lowcountry, South Carolina, native was booked into the Charleston County Detention Center.
Although the details surrounding his arrest remain unclear, Clary appears to have been released from the aforementioned prison in three hours. The conditions of his bail, as well as the magistrate who imposed it, remain unlisted in the public index of the judicial branch of the Supreme Court.
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According to open source information, Clary played at least one season of baseball for the Newberry Wolves while attending Newberry College. According to his stats for the 2015 season, he appeared in eleven games with four wins and an astounding 5.14 earned run average.
“His career ambition is to work for the Department of Natural Resources,” wrote Clary, third person, during his sophomore year in college. “[His] hobbies include hunting… [his] best sports moment was winning back-to-back high school state football championships.
According to training records provided by the SC Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA), Clary became an SCDNR employee six years after playing for the Wolves. He then married his college girlfriend who seems to work at an elementary school in Charleston County.
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CONNECTED | SLED AGENT CHARGED WITH DUI
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As of this posting, Clary is one of several law enforcement officers charged with DUI this year. Regular readers of our Badges Gone Bad series no doubt know about Lawrence Police Department (LPD) Officer Casey Jones and his underrated escape last winter.
Although he was charged with drunkenly impersonating an officer while pointing and displaying his service weapon in the face of an unarmed civilian on February 1, 2024, Jones later received a DUI enforcement award from the Department of Public Safety of SC (SCDPS).
Come May 25, 2024, SLED Lieutenant Mark Berube was charged with DUI after being pulled over for speeding in his government vehicle. Within hours of his apprehension by a SC State Transportation Police (SCSTP) officer, Berube was terminated for misconduct.
This report may be updated.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy Award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Born of a bloodline of both outlaws and lawmen, he was the first in his family to graduate from college, graduating with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially TwitterInstagram and Facebook.
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