Darlington County deputy cleared in domestic violence probe

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- A Darlington County Sheriff's deputy has been cleared in a domestic violence investigation that was conducted by the Florence County Sheriff's Office.

The incident in question happened the night of July 10 in Hartsville and involved a physical altercation between the deputy and his live-in girlfriend, according to a release issued by the Darlington County agency.

"Due to the altercation involving a current deputy, the investigation into the incident was turned over to the Florence County Sheriff's Office, which has investigators who specialize in cases of domestic violence," Lt. Robert Kilgo wrote in a release on the investigation.

"The (Florence County Sheriff's Office) has informed the (Darlington County Sheriff's Office) that the deputy involved was not the aggressor and has been cleared," Kilgo wrote in the release.

"The name of the Deputy is not being released due to him being a victim," Kilgo wrote in the release.

Since January 2017, 25 percent of victims of domestic violence in Darlington County have been men, according to the release.

One in 7 men have been severely physically abused by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.