Charleston Arrest Video: SC Governor Candidate Cuffed, Ranting in Patrol Car
Zoe Bennett reporting. The facts matter. Here’s what we know so far.
William “Mullins” McLeod Jr., a prominent South Carolina attorney and the first Democrat to officially enter the 2026 gubernatorial race, was captured on body-camera footage in May alternating between profanity, defiance, and grandiose claims while handcuffed inside a Charleston Police Department patrol car. The department released the clip this week; local outlets including TMZ and Charleston-area reporting confirmed the video’s existence and described McLeod’s conduct during the arrest for disorderly conduct.
Video shows McLeod wearing only underwear at the time of his detention, repeatedly refusing to identify himself to officers and shouting that he was “Superman” while at one point apparently asserting, “When I’m governor…” before trailing off. The footage documents him using profanity, resisting orders to exit the patrol vehicle, and telling the arresting officer he intended to sleep in the backseat instead of complying. The Charleston Police Department’s release of the recording aligns with reporting in national and local media and with a public record of the May arrest.
McLeod’s campaign responded quickly with a statement to media outlets asserting that he plans a press conference to address what his team calls “legal action and expected resolution stemming from his unlawful arrest by the Charleston Police.” The campaign framed the incident as an abuse-of-power claim and said McLeod intends to “set the record straight” and return to focusing on policy issues facing South Carolina.
Context matters. McLeod is not a peripheral figure: he is a well-known trial attorney in the state and, by declaring his candidacy, positioned himself as a high-profile Democratic challenger to long-serving Republican Governor Henry McMaster, who has led the state since 2017 and is ineligible to run again due to term limits. For a candidate in an already tense statewide race, public conduct and credibility are essential assets; recorded confrontations with law enforcement can quickly become campaign liabilities that opponents and media will seize on.
From a legal standpoint, the charge listed is disorderly conduct, which carries implications but is typically a misdemeanor-level offense. The campaign’s mention of “legal action” suggests potential civil litigation or an effort to quash or challenge the arrest’s legality; however, as of now there are no public filings that prove a lawsuit has been initiated. The recorded behavior captured on body camera could complicate a legal argument over unlawful arrest if courts weigh the video as evidence of noncompliance. Conversely, McLeod’s team may pursue claims focusing not on his behavior but on the circumstances leading to the stop, the officers’ conduct, or alleged procedural errors.
Political implications are immediate. Opponents may use the footage to question McLeod’s temperament and fitness for office; advisors and donors could be unsettled by the optics of a candidate in only underwear, shouting in a police car, and invoking future power. Conversely, McLeod’s pledge to litigate and hold a press conference signals a strategy to control the narrative and reframe the incident as one of civil rights and abuse of power—an approach that could energize certain constituents while alienating others.
At this stage, independent verification rests on the released Charleston Police Department footage and contemporaneous reporting. Key questions remain open: Has McLeod filed formal legal challenges? Will the campaign’s press conference produce exculpatory context or evidence of misconduct by officers? How will both parties in South Carolina’s upcoming gubernatorial contest respond to these images?
This matter is evolving and will have both legal and political ramifications. Expect rapid follow-up: a campaign press conference, potential court filings, and immediate commentary from rival campaigns and local media. Stay tuned for updates as documents and statements become public.
That wraps up today’s analysis. More updates will follow as details emerge.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ, Charleston Police Department release, Local Charleston reporting
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
