Nathan Elliott Rhodes was a 58-year-old man who died in 2019 after being arrested by the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina for driving under the influence. He suffered severe internal injuries during the arrest, but instead of being taken to the hospital, he was transported to a detention center for a breathalyzer test. He died four days later in the hospital, and his death was ruled a homicide by blunt force trauma to the abdomen.
The Arrest and the Injuries
According to the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) report, Rhodes was stopped by Deputy Keith Tyner on Aug. 12, 2019, around 11:30 p.m. for driving erratically on Interstate 26. Tyner claimed that Rhodes resisted arrest and tried to flee, so he used his Taser and physical force to subdue him. He also claimed that Rhodes hit his head on the pavement during the struggle.
However, the SLED report also revealed that Tyner did not follow the proper protocol for handling a DUI suspect. He did not call for medical assistance, even though Rhodes was bleeding from his head and mouth, and had difficulty breathing and standing. He also did not secure Rhodes in a seat belt, and drove recklessly to the detention center, causing Rhodes to bounce around in the back seat. Tyner also ignored Rhodes’ repeated requests for help and water, and mocked him for being drunk.
Rhodes had suffered eight broken ribs, internal injuries and a ruptured liver, according to his lawyer. “By the time Rhodes was actually transported to the hospital, it was too late,” Bamberg stated. “Doctors attempted surgery but Rhodes died four days later.”
The Investigation and the Lawsuit
The SLED report was completed in June 2020, and concluded that Tyner used excessive force and violated Rhodes’ constitutional rights. However, the Solicitor’s Office decided not to file any criminal charges against Tyner, citing insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Tyner intended to harm Rhodes.
Rhodes’ family filed a civil lawsuit against Tyner, the Sheriff’s Office, and the County, seeking justice and compensation for their loss. The lawsuit alleged that Tyner acted with malice, negligence, and indifference, and that the Sheriff’s Office failed to train, supervise, and discipline its deputies. The lawsuit also claimed that Rhodes’ death was part of a pattern of misconduct and abuse by the Sheriff’s Office, which had been involved in several other cases of excessive force and wrongful deaths.
The lawsuit is still pending, and the family hopes to get a jury trial and a fair verdict. They also hope to raise awareness and prevent similar tragedies from happening to other innocent people. “We want people to know what happened to Nathan,” said his sister, Deborah Rhodes. “We want people to know that he was a human being, not just a statistic.”
