ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - A former Upstate police chief is part of an investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

According to SLED, Solicitor Micah Black of the 10th Judicial Circuit requested the investigation into possible use of excessive force by Belton and Honea Path police officers, including James Ross Richey. The incident occurred in April of 2020. The solicitor requested the investigation on September 25th, 2025.

At the time of the incident, Richey was a patrol officer with the Belton Police Department. Richey later became the chief of police in 2021 before he resigned from the Belton Police Department to work at the Anderson Police Department.

Sources told FOX Carolina the incident under investigation was also the subject of a federal l

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