Ex-cop charged with assaulting motorist during recent Lowcountry traffic stop

Sammy Fretwell
·1 min read

A former Summerville police officer has been arrested on charges that he assaulted a motorist during a traffic stop two months ago.

Robert Barrineau, 37, is accused of dragging the car’s driver out of the vehicle and hitting him.

The driver had refused to exit the vehicle after the police officer failed to explain why the car had been stopped, according to an arrest warrant. The warrant said the victim was struck in the face with a closed fist.

The traffic stop resulted from a narcotics surveillance operation, the warrant said.

Barrineau worked for the Summerville Police Department at the time of the incident, the warrant said. The State Law Enforcement Division arrested Barrineau Friday, SLED spokesman Tommy Crosby said. Barrineau has been released on bond, a law enforcement official in Dorchester County said.

He is charged with third degree assault and battery.

Efforts to reach Barrineau or locate an attorney representing him were unsuccessful Friday.