(Orangeburg) August 13, 2003 - SLED agents arrested former Highway Patrol Lance Corporal Chad Williams, 28, around 5:30pm Tuesday evening on charges he struck two handcuffed men during a traffic stop.

A spokeswoman for SLED says Williams is in custody accused of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. Investigators say his actions constitute unlawful and intentional infliction of violent injury.

He has a $25,000 personal recognizance bond, but he's not been released from the Orangeburg detention center as of late Tuesday evening.

He resigned his Highway Patrol position of lance corporal last week after being on the force since July, 1996.

According to an affidavit filed by SLED Agent Matt Ford on the incident, Trooper Williams was working a traffic stop on July 20th around 1:00am on Highway 301 in Orangeburg. The vehicle, with one man behind the wheel and two other passengers, was pulled over.

Williams ordered the driver, named as Travis Johnson of Orangeburg, to get out of the car and come to the rear of the vehicle. Williams then requested backup, and Trooper R.V. Giddens arrived shortly thereafter.

Williams asked the man on the right rear passenger side of the vehicle to get out of the car. At that time the man reportedly dropped a substance that appeared to be cocaine on the ground. The man then ran into nearby woods. Williams pursued.

Giddens removed the other passenger from the vehicle and handcuffed him and Johnson with their hands behind their back. Williams was unable to apprehend the fleeing suspect.

The document states, "Trooper Williams struck in the chest, the driver, Travis J. Johnson, with his forearm." It goes on that Williams, "...turned and did strike with his left fist the unknown black passenger that was handcuffed. Trooper Williams slapped this passenger several times in the face."

The affidavit then claims, "Trooper Williams then grabbed the unknown black passenger by the hair on his head and lifted him up." Investigators say Williams then took off the handcuffs, released the men, and issued the driver a warning for speeding.

Ford's affidavit states the incident was caught on videotape from the two Troopers' cruisers. The tape was reviewed by SLED, which led to the arrest.

Williams was last in the news when he was struck by lightning back in early July of this year while working an accident on an I-95 bridge over Lake Marion. He was released from the hospital shortly after the lightning incident.

Updated 8:02am by BrettWitt