Kristin Graziano

Kristin Graziano is a former Sheriff of Charleston County, South Carolina (2021–2024), notable as the first woman and first openly gay person elected sheriff in South Carolina.

What happened

January 5, 2021 — Death of Jamal Sutherland. On Graziano's first day in office, Jamal Sutherland, a 31-year-old Black man with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, died at the Al Cannon Detention Center after deputies Brian Houle and Lindsay Fickett attempted to forcibly remove him from his cell to attend a bond hearing. Video later released by the sheriff's office showed deputies deploying stun guns approximately six to eight times and pepper spray during the encounter. The Charleston County Coroner ruled Sutherland's death resulted from his excited state and an adverse pharmacological reaction during the struggle. Both deputies were terminated in May 2021.

May 2021 — Mace criticizes Graziano over transparency. Following the release of body-camera footage in May 2021, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC-1) publicly attacked Graziano for waiting nearly five months before holding a press conference. Mace stated: "The fact that it took Sheriff Graziano almost five months to have a press conference on this horrific event...is a test of truth and a test of character and she has failed on both counts." Mace also alleged that Graziano had "completely misled" her in a prior conversation, saying the sheriff had contradicted herself about when she first viewed the footage. Mace called on Graziano to fire the two deputies and said she could not "comprehend the level of force used inside his jail cell to get him to a bond hearing he was not required by law to attend." Graziano's office said at the time that the initial incident report was preliminary and that the case had been referred to SLED for independent investigation.

July 2021 — No state charges. Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson announced on July 26, 2021 that she would not prosecute the two former deputies, stating she could not prove criminal intent. Graziano acknowledged the death as a tragedy and announced policy reforms, including allowing detainees to waive bond-hearing appearances and establishing a mobile mental-health crisis unit for pre-booking evaluations.

October 2022 — No federal charges. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on October 26, 2022 that it would not bring federal civil-rights charges, saying prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the deputies willfully violated federal criminal civil-rights statutes. Charleston County subsequently reached a $10 million civil settlement with Sutherland's family — reported as the largest civil-rights settlement in South Carolina history.

January 5, 2021 — ICE policy change. Also on her first day in office, Graziano ended Charleston County's 287(g) partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which had authorized deputies to perform immigration-enforcement functions.

September 2024 — Immigration feud with Mace escalates publicly. On September 24, 2024, Mace sent Graziano a three-page letter and later delivered a House floor speech accusing her of "purposefully and systematically allowing criminal illegal aliens to roam free in Charleston County" and making "every possible effort to turn Charleston County into a sanctuary jurisdiction." Mace alleged that Graziano's office had ignored 51 ICE administrative detainer requests since fiscal year 2021 and cited a specific August 2024 incident involving an individual charged with criminal solicitation of a minor. The House Oversight Committee opened an inquiry into Graziano's alleged refusal to produce ICE detainer records.

Graziano held a press conference on September 25, 2024 and directly disputed Mace's characterization. She stated: "Nancy Mace is full of [expletive]. She clearly doesn't understand the law." Graziano explained her office's legal position: "We have never refused an order from a judge, and the ICE officers are the ones responsible for obtaining those orders." She said her office holds individuals for ICE only when an immigration judge has signed a formal order, and noted that only three of South Carolina's 46 counties remain in the 287(g) program. Graziano also said: "Mace has a history of mischaracterizing events for her perceived political benefit, and this letter is particularly egregious."

Mace's office disputed Graziano's account and continued posting criticism on social media. The South Carolina Democratic Party criticized Mace's attacks as politically motivated.

November 5, 2024 — Graziano loses re-election. Graziano was defeated by Republican Carl Ritchie, a former Mount Pleasant police chief, 51% to 48%, returning the Charleston County Sheriff's Office to Republican leadership after one Democratic term. Post-election analyses noted the Mace immigration dispute as a prominent issue during the campaign.

MACEOPEDIA

What happened

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