POLICE INQUIRY DEEPENS

More Drug Cases Getting Reviewed

The Beaufort County solicitor investigating whether Bluffton police
officers interfered in a Sheriff's Office drug investigation
broadened his inquiry this week.

Deputy Solicitor Duffie Stone said Thursday he is examining Bluffton
Police Department practices on every active narcotics case, a process
he said could wrap up as soon as the middle of next week.

Stone requested the case files from interim Chief Alex Ferguson on
Wednesday and received them Thursday. He did not know the exact
number of cases he will be reviewing.

He said he'll inspect department procedures, case analyses, seizures
and civil forfeitures and evaluate what probable cause officers cited
when making stops during drug investigations.

Stone said he expects this analysis will be the last step in
determining whether any Bluffton police officers obstructed justice
when an attempted controlled drug buy was foiled on Aug. 16. He has
been investigating the incident since Aug. 18.

"I'm reviewing everything (when it comes to the files)," Stone said.

He said he has examined the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office report
on its investigation into the incident, but it is only part of his inquiry.

Ferguson also will conduct an internal investigation on the matter.
It is one of three internal investigations pending for the
department, town manager Josh Martin has said.

At around 2:45 p.m. on Aug. 16, the Beaufort County Drug Task Force
was conducting a controlled drug purchase on Goethe Road when
Bluffton police Det. Darryl Jackson pulled over the informant.
According to the investigative report, the task force made a courtesy
call to Bluffton police at 2:30 p.m. to tell them they would be
working there, and Jackson answered that call.

In an interview with investigators on Aug. 22, John Brown, who then
was police chief, told investigators he sent Jackson to the area to
find out if anything was going on and see if help was needed, the
report states.

According to the report, Jackson said Brown did not send him there.
He told investigators he was following another officer who was
picking up a criminal domestic violence victim to take to court and
simply stopped a vehicle that nosed out on Goethe Road and nearly
struck Webber's cruiser.

The vehicle was driven by the confidential informant.

Sheriff P.J. Tanner said last week that Bluffton police were sent to
intentionally disrupt a controlled drug purchase. He said he thinks
Brown was concerned about turf protection.

Brown has said his officer did not know he was conducting a traffic
stop on a confidential informant. He denied intentionally
interrupting the drug investigation, according to the report.

Calls made to Brown and Martin were not returned Thursday night.