A man smuggled a loaded gun past arresting officers and into the Chesterfield County Jail, police revealed this week.
The incident came to light when deputies discovered the gun during a random search at the Chesterfield County Detention Center.
The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Zy’kemeon Davis, was initially arrested for shoplifting near an IGA store in Cheraw, South Carolina.
“A brief struggle with him happened. Once they were able to get him into custody, they put him into the vehicle, and unfortunately, they didn’t search him at the time,” said Captain Nicole Scott of the Cheraw Police Department.
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Davis was held at a 48-hour holding facility in the Cheraw Police Department before his bond hearing, during which the gun remained concealed in his underwear.
Captain Scott noted that the officers did not properly search Davis, as his underwear was not checked according to policy.
The gun was eventually found hidden under a mattress during a random search for contraband.
After the bond hearing, Davis was transferred to the Chesterfield County Jail, where a $180,000 body scanner is supposed to be used to scan every inmate.
However, the scanner was not utilized due to what Jail Director Troy Ellerbe described as “poor judgment, shortcuts, and trust.”
Chesterfield County Sheriff Cambo Streater emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating, “It is a very serious situation. It’s one of the most serious situations that can happen in a detention center; we do not take it lightly.”
Disciplinary actions have been taken by both the Cheraw Police and Chesterfield County Jail officials to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
Davis remains in jail facing charges related to the shoplifting incident and the concealed weapon.
Authorities are taking steps to ensure that procedures are followed to prevent similar security breaches.
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