The Latest (8/10/21):
A former Fort Mill police officer has received probation for attacking his wife and preventing her from leaving their South Carolina home after she said she wanted a divorce, authorities said.
Since ex-Fort Mill officer Stephen James Cleary, 36, pleaded guilty to a felony, he can no longer own a gun and likely can never be a police officer again, a news outlet reported.
Cleary was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but he won’t have to serve that time behind bars as long as he completes five years of probation which includes intensive supervision, a permanent restraining order and counseling, defense attorney Ben Hasty said.
Cleary accepted a deal and pleaded guilty to first-degree domestic violence, kidnapping, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor on Monday, according to court records.
Cleary attacked his wife in December after she told him she wanted a divorce, according to a police report.
The victim said he had assaulted her before, but this time pinned her arms against a wall and wouldn’t let her leave the home for more than an hour as a gun sat on the floor nearby, authorities said.
Cleary’s 6-year-old daughter was knocked backward and hit her head against the wall, according to an arrest warrant.
The probation is for the domestic violence charge. A judge allowed the 208 days Cleary spent in jail on the other charges to serve as his sentence for those counts.
Cleary was fired after the attack. He had been a police officer for Fort Mill in March 2019.
Original Story (12/29/20):
FORT MILL, S.C. — A Fort Mill Police officer has been terminated after being arrested in Florida on domestic violence charges, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Fort Mill Police Department tells WCCB they terminated Officer Stephen Cleary on Monday, December 28th.
Cleary was arrested in Hillsboro County, Florida on warrants issued by SLED stemming from an incident that happened in York County on December 27th.
Cleary, 36, has been charged with domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, unlawful neglect of a child, and kidnapping. SLED is continuing the investigation which was requested by the Fort Mill Police Department.
Cleary was hired as an officer on March 18, 2019. He is currently awaiting extradition from Florida.
