ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WCBD) – The City of Orangeburg announces a settlement with 58-year-old Clarence Gailyard who was physically assaulted by a former Orangeburg Department of Public Safety officer, David Lance Dukes.

The City of Orangeburg settled at $650,000 with Gailyard and the funds will be paid through the city’s insurance carrier.

“Mr. Gailyard is pleased to put this very troubling incident behind him and looks forward to moving on with the rest of his life.  We appreciate how quickly Orangeburg city leadership moved to make this right by Mr. Gailyard.  I’ve handled numerous cases involving police violence previously and rarely have I seen a city swiftly accept responsibility and also work to ensure that this never happens to another person,” says Gailyard’s attorney Rep. Justin Bamberg.

Dukes is currently facing charges of assault and battery after body camera footage shows Gailyard being stomped on the head by Dukes as he trying to comply with Dukes’ commands in a July 26 incident.

Dukes was immediately terminated from the City’s Public Safety Department prior to his arrest.

“Our hope and expectations are that every interaction between the public and officers with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety will be professional and courteous,” says Orangeburg City Administrator Sidney Evering.  “We understand that these officers have a difficult job and put their lives on the line every day, and for this we are extremely grateful.  The vast majority of our officers do their jobs with honor and ensure that the citizens they are entrusted to protect and serve are treated fairly and with respect.” 

City officials say that the City has taken steps to make sure the Department of Public Safety is moving in the right direction going forward.

“We named an interim police chief who will be tasked with reviewing the department’s use of force policies and procedures,” says City Administrator Sidney Evering.  “We are establishing a Citizen’s Task Force whose role, in part, will be to provide oversight and guidance with regard to interactions between our residents and officers with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety.  We will continue to learn from this situation and pledge to do our very best for those who live, work and travel through Orangeburg.”