No bond for 17-year-old suspect who ran over Richland County Deputy Sarah Merriman
By: Body cam footage was shown in court Wednesday, that doented the frightening moments Richland County Deputy Sarah Merriman was run over while trying to arrest a 17-year-old last August.
Wednesday afternoon, Jamon Cheatham’s defense attorneys asked a judge to lower the teen’s bond from the $150,000 that had been set after his August arrest.
“Her case is one of them that I think that’s kind of got the ball rolling and I hate that she got injured like that, but I think something good is going to come out of something bad," said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott.
Sheriff Leon Lott thinks the case could be a step in the right direction when it comes to bail for repeat offenders.
The judge shot down the request for a lower bond after watching the video and hearing emotional testimony from Deputy Merriman who suffered life-long injuries and was out of work for two months.
“ I still have the lingering effects to this day, there are some things I can’t do at the same level that I did before and there’s typically always some sort of discomfort. I get a daily reminder of everything that my body went through that day," said Richland County Dept. Sarah Merriman.
Cheatham's and attorneys pleaded with the judge to reduce the bond, they added that he did not intend to kill Deputy Merriman and that he was only a teenager.
"This was not a teenage mistake he made some very adult decisions that almost cost somebody’s life, and he didn’t care, so he needs to be held accountable," explained Lott.
The judge said that Cheatham should not have been granted bond in the first place after looking at his criminal history, which includes attempted murder, carjacking, and weapons charges.
“I think he needs to face the consequences of those decisions and beyond that, that’s on him," said Merriman.
Cheatham's attorneys said he turns 18 in May, meaning he will get transferred from the Department of Juvenile Justice to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.