Charleston attorney Mullins McLeod, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, is seeking dismissal of a May disorderly conduct charge stemming from an incident on the Battery where police alleged he walked in underwear and yelled.
Arrest Circumstances
Police reported McLeod caused a disturbance by walking shirtless in boxers and shouting, leading to his arrest without prior questions, according to his attorney Scott Bischoff. Video from the police car shows McLeod yelling obscenities and rambling, but Bischoff claims unreleased body cam footage proves no public disturbance occurred and officers fabricated details like the underwear claim, as it lacked pockets.
Legal Challenge
At a Tuesday press conference, Bischoff announced a motion to dismiss, arguing the arrest violated Fourth Amendment rights, Miranda warnings were skipped making post-arrest statements inadmissible, and McLeod interfered with no one in an empty area. He denied alcohol or drugs were involved, deferring explanations of McLeod’s behavior to exhaustion or medication without specifics.
Campaign Context
The arrest video surfaced widely after McLeod’s August campaign launch, prompting failed negotiations to drop charges; McLeod skipped the press conference to campaign in Columbia.
