CHARLESTON, S.C. - State officials have stripped the badge of a Berkeley County deputy who once beat a suspect to death while working as a police officer for another agency.

The South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy cited a troubling history of excessive-force complaints at law enforcement agencies in its decision to ban Roudro Gourdine from law enforcement.

Gourdine was acquitted of voluntary manslaughter in 1988 in the death of Hollie Chestnut, who was suspected of breaking into a car. His attorneys argued that he was not responsible for his actions because he suffered a loss of sensory perception or memory due to the stress of the situation. Gourdine never denied killing Chestnut.

Academy officials examined that case, as well as an incident in 2001 in Andrews in which Gourdine was accused of breaking a suspect's collarbone. "We felt that there was an excessive-force issue in both situations," academy director William Neill said.

Gourdine can appeal the academy's decision to the state Department of Public Safety.

Berkeley County Sheriff Wayne DeWitt said he terminated Gourdine on Tuesday after learning of the academy's ruling. A letter was hand-delivered to Gourdine's St. Stephen home informing him of the decision, the sheriff said.

"I told the staff at the academy that I have no problem with their decision," DeWitt said. "But I can state that since he's been with us, we've had no complaints from any citizens of Berkeley County with his performance or anything else."

Gourdine was one of 15 officers reviewed by the academy in response to a series of stories in The (Charleston) Post and Courier about police officers who remain on the job despite allegations of misconduct and criminal behavior.

Gourdine is the third officer to lose his badge as a result of the review. Two other officers have been suspended pending further study; five have left law enforcement; and five were cleared to return to duty.