Orangeburg Public Safety Officer Charged With Assault and Battery
Christopher James Tyler, 35, faces a second-degree charge after SLED investigated an alleged assault.
2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 29, 2026, 4:25 p.m. ET
Earlier reports
Aug 29, 2026, 4:25 p.m. ETFirst report
Ex-Orangeburg Officer Charged with Assault and Battery
Christopher James Tyler, 35, of Orangeburg, has been charged with assault and battery in the second degree, according to reports from wlox.com and abccolumbia.com. The charge stems from an incident in which Tyler, then a public safety officer, was accused of assaulting a handcuffed detainee.
Prosecutors alleged that Tyler punched the victim in the face and slammed them headfirst into a brick wall twice while taking them to jail for booking, as reported by wlox.com. SLED investigators said Tyler punched a handcuffed suspect and slammed his head into a brick wall, according to abccolumbia.com. The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division investigated the case.
The matter is only at the charging stage and has not been resolved. Tyler has not been tried and is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Further proceedings have not yet been scheduled, and additional details have not been disclosed.
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Sources
- Orangeburg Police chief releases statement after public safety officer charged with assault - ABC Columbiaabccolumbia.com
- Ex-cop allegedly punched detainee in face, slammed them into brick wallwlox.com
- Ex-cop allegedly punched detainee in face, slammed them into brick wallwthitv.com
- Orangeburg officer fired days after he allegedly assaulted arresteewrdw.com
Revision history
- Version 230 Aug 2026, 20:13current
Added the conflicting details of the alleged conduct from wlox.com and wthitv.com, and clarified the charge is only at the charging stage.
- Version 129 Aug 2026, 20:23
First published.
- Version 129 Aug 2026, 20:25current
First published.
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