Lawsuit Filed Against York County Sheriff’s After Deputies Shot Man 9 Times During Welfare Check
By: A lawsuit has been filed against the York County Sheriff’s Office after deputies shot a man nine times while his mother was standing just feet away during a welfare check in 2021. The man, Trevor Mullinax, survived the shooting.
The shooting happened on May 7, 2021, off Highway 324 on property owned by Mullinax’s family, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims deputies fired nearly 50 bullets at the vehicle.
Body cam footage shows deputies firing through the front windshield of Mullinax’s Ford F-150 while his mother was talking to him through the driver’s side window. Mullinax’s mother, Tammy Beason, is also named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
Mullinax’s attorney says he was suffering severe emotional distress stemming from personal relationship issues and was contemplating suicide when the shooting took place. A 911 call sent deputies to the property for a wellness check. The caller told dispatchers that Mullinax was suicidal, according to the lawsuit.
Deputies say Mullinax pointed a shotgun at them shortly after they arrived on the scene. Attornies for Mullinax say a hunting shotgun was in the truck, but contest that Mullinax pointed it at deputies. Mullinax was shot nine times and had gunshot wounds in his hands and the back of the head, according to the lawsuit. Beason was not physically injured in the shooting but was handcuffed and detained while deputies investigated, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit states Mullinax and Beason are suing over gross negligence, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, defamation, barratry, abuse of process, civil conspiracy, civil assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress/outrage.
An independent investigation by SLED cleared the deputies of any wrongdoing.