GREENWOOD, S.C. — A wrongful-death lawsuit against the City of Greenwood has become an issue in the race for mayor, with challenger James Long calling on Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin to step down and the chief refusing.
Long is challenging Mayor Brandon Smith, and voters settle the race on Nov. 3. In a statement, he said the claims in the suit need independent review and accountability, and he argued that City Hall has not been transparent about how it handled the case.
The suit, filed Oct. 22 in the Greenwood County Court of Common Pleas, accuses two city officers of leaving a 56-year-old woman who used a walker outside a shut-down gas station near Five Points in freezing weather in February 2025. She was struck and killed on Siloam Church Road roughly an hour and a half later.
The complaint also faults the chief for turning down recommendations to fire the officers and to open a criminal investigation. The mayor himself is not a defendant, and the claims have not been proven in court.
Chaudoin answered that Long is free to share his opinion but that he will not resign on demand, adding that he stands behind his officers.
Section: More Greenwood SC politics news
Filed under: Greenwood SC Politics News
