Ridgeville police chief awaiting SCCJA appeal; acting chief named

RIDGEVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) – An interim police chief is leading the Ridgeville Police Department while Quintion Joyner awaits a decision on his appeal over decertification.

News 2 first reported earlier this month that Ridgeville Police Chief Quintion Joyner had been decertified by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA) over his driver’s license being suspended for several years.

“Well, the only thing I can tell you about Chief Joyner is he has an appeal at the Academy,” said Ridgeville Mayor Clarence Hughes when asked for an update on Joyner.

Mayor Hughes said the date for the Criminal Justice Academy to hear Joyner’s appeal will take place on April 24.

It all stems from a February 26 vote by the SCCJA to decertify Chief Joyner after it was discovered his driver’s license was suspended—and had been suspended for many years.

You must have a valid driver’s license to be in law enforcement in South Carolina.

Agenda notes from that meeting state Joyner “willfully falsified material information given to the Criminal Justice Academy” about the license.

For now, Thomas Muckelvaney is serving as acting police chief until the issue with Joyner can be resolved. The town is also receiving law enforcement support from the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office.

“Dorchester County’s still running through our town in the night and in the day, checking out people with traffic violations and whatever,” Mayor Hughes said.