GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) – A civil trial continued Thursday involving a man suing Greenville County and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office claiming that he was injured during a 2019 arrest.
Body camera footage from Stephon Hopkins’ arrest was released in 2021. The trial began this week.
According to information learned in court, officers responded to a home near White Horse Road because a 911 call was made from there. Before operators could get any information, the caller hung up.
Deputies said Hopkins ran when they arrived. They said they eventually apprehended him and he was charged with resisting arrest and hindering an officer.
Hopkins and his legal team claim deputies used a stun gun on him, punched him with handcuffs, and slammed his head in the door of a patrol car.
The defense team moved for a directed verdict for Greenville County arguing that the county has no liability and there was no evidence that the county caused injury.
“There is no evidence that any breach of any legal duty owed by Greenville County to Mr. Hopkins approximately caused any injury or damage to him,” said defense attorney Stephanie Burton.
The defense team called five people to the stand Thursday. Four who are employed by the sheriff’s office and another who is a forensic pathology specialist.
That doctor testified he did not believe Hopkins was punched in the eye with handcuffs like he claims.
Hopkins’ team argued that medical documents of Hopkins injuries were illegally obtained and that the jury should not be able to take the doctor’s insight into consideration.
“This investigation took place on March 4th, 2021,” said Bakari Sellers, leader of Hopkins’ legal team. “This is when he ‘accessed’ those documents so that he could review. You can see that my client did not actually give a release of those documents until subsequently later. Respectfully to the doctor, you can not access those documents without proper permission or a proper HIPPA.”
The trial is still ongoing and the court expects closing arguments on Friday.
