Video shows cop crack student baseball player in head with stun gun, investigation underway

State law enforcement is investigating after video circulating online captured a South Carolina sheriff's office deputy allegedly hitting a high-school athlete in the head with a stun gun during a baseball game last week.

The encounter took place after a March 25 evening baseball game in the city of in Mullins, about 50-miles northwest of Myrtle Beach, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) told USA TODAY.

The agency said it was requested on Thursday, March 26, by the Marion County Sheirff’s Office to investigate an incident that occured one day earlier involving one of its deputies at Pee Dee Academy after a baseball game.

The teenager's 21-year-old brother, Jesse Bowers, posted the video on his Facebook page, and wrote in the caption, his "little brother was treated very poorly" by a deputy after the game.

Bill Hopkins, an attorney representing the family of the 17-year-old baseball player, said the deputy also allegedly shoved the high school baseball player's mother and arrested another family member on a disorderly conduct charge in connection to the case - the player's 24-year-old brother.

"Law enforcement officers take an oath to protect and serve − a duty that is fundamental to public trust," Hopkins told USA TODAY. "When that duty is breached, it must be taken seriously. We intend to hold all responsible parties accountable for the assault of a mother and her minor son and the unlawful arrest of her other son."

The reported assault took place after a game between Pee Dee Academy in Mullins, and Lee Academy in Bishopville, a town in Lee County, South Carolina, where Hopkins said the 17-year-old player attends the private high school.

The video, which Hopkins said was filmed by a parent at the game, shows the deputy restraining the student from behind with an arm wrapped around the players neck.

At one point in the video, the deputy removes a stun gun from his belt, waves it in the air then hits the student in the head with the stun gun.

Footage goes onto show the deputy force the student to his knees while his arm is still around the player's neck.

Sheriff's office spokesperson Tammy Erwin would not release the name of the deputy involved, but said the officer has been reassigned to administrative duties. 

"The Marion County Sheriff's Office protocol regarding employees under investigation is determined on a case-by-case basis," Erwin said in an email on Tuesday, March 31.

Erwin directed all other inquiries about the case to SLED.

Here's video of the incident as well as what Hopkins said led up to the encounter:

'I told you, get off my foot'

Prior to the student being struck, Hopkins said the student's mother approached an umpire after the game in a parking lot, and asked him a question which caused the officer to allegedly "take offense."

"The officer grabbed her by the forearm and put the palm of her face and pushed her over a disagreement about her speaking to the umpire," Hopkins said, The move allegedly caused her 24-year old son to intervene, and be arrested on a disorderly conduct charge.

The woman's other son, the 17-year-old player, came out of the dugout, and an unidentified adult allegedly made "disparaging comments about his team losing the game."

The student reacted, the adult told the officer, and the officer approached the teen, then allegedly put him in a headlock and hit him in the head.

In the footage, the deputy said in the video he struck the player because he stepped on his feet.

"He stepped on my foot. I told him to get off," the deputy says in the video.

The case remained under investigation on Tuesday, law enforcement said.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.