Lawyers representing Julian Betton announced the City of Myrtle Beach settled a landmark payout for damages. The City of Myrtle Beach paid Betton $8.5 million for damages. The total settlement paid by the city and Horry County came to $11.25 million.
Illegal Home Invasion
Betton’s home was raided by a D.E.U. police force. The group smashed Betton’s door while not using the required legal protocol of knock and announce. The entire incident was captured on Betton’s home security cameras.
Three D.E.U. detectives, dressed in camouflage and armed with military style weapons, invaded the building firing 29 shots. Betton was hit by 9 of those.
Lawyers told local press the City of Myrtle Beach chose to lie and cover up in court in order to protect their own. When asked, Attorney Bradley Bannon indicated the entire systems of government, including the police, the mayor, and city administration, chose lies over the law.
The city of Myrtle Beach released the following statement following Thursday’s press conference:
As noted in January, the insurance company representing the City of Myrtle Beach made a decision to settle the case involving Julian Betton. We believe that reaching this agreement was not only right for the city, but also for Mr. Betton. The city’s officers in this case were part of a multi-officer team under the jurisdiction of the Horry County Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU). As noted by Mr. Betton’s attorneys, retired Police Chief Warren Gall conducted an investigation of the operation and identified a number of deficiencies. As a result, the Myrtle Beach Police Department no longer participates in the Drug Enforcement Unit. The Myrtle Beach Police Department has policies and training in place governing search warrants and their execution to protect the Fourth Amendment rights of our citizens. Myrtle Beach also was one of the first departments in the state to equip its officers with body-worn cameras. Our officers are required to wear and activate those cameras for the protection of the public and the city.