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Former NYPD cop charged with murder for shooting unarmed man at South Carolina Chick-fil-A

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Former NYPD cop charged with murder for shooting unarmed man at South Carolina Chick-fil-A


An off-duty South Carolina officer who began his law enforcement career with the NYPD was charged with murder Wednesday after he allegedly shot and killed an unarmed man outside a Chick-fil-A.

Anthony DeLustro, a Summerville Police Department officer, is accused of jumping into the car of 39-year-old Michael O’Neal and fatally shooting him on March 20 as the victim was trying to flee following a dispute with the off-duty cop.

DeLustro, 64, tried to claim self-defense immediately following the deadly altercation, saying he feared for the community’s safety and his wife’s safety.

But eyewitness interviews and video evidence collected by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) show that the cop “did kill the victim with malice aforethought,” according to an affidavit provided by the state agency.

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Anthony DeLustro was charged with murder Wednesday for the March 20 shooting of Michael O’Neal. Berkeley County Jail

“A reasonable person could not have reasonably believed that the victim posed a threat of imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury to others because the victim was unarmed, walked away from the altercation and attempted to leave in his vehicle,” a senior special agent at SLED wrote in the affidavit.

Several witnesses told investigators that DeLustro was “the primary aggressor” and allegedly killed O’Neal as he attempted to leave after the pair got into a physical fight in the parking lot of the fast food joint, the document states.

It’s unclear what started the skirmish but both men got out of their cars and O’Neal asked the off-duty officer, “Do you want to do this?” multiple times, one witness told SLED.

DeLustro replied with a homophobic slur: “Come on you f–king f—-t,” according to the witness.

DeLustro allegedly entered O’Neal’s car and shot him once, killing him on the spot. Facebook

The men then began a fistfight as bystanders tried to separate them. As they exchanged blows, DeLustro tried to use his Summerville police credentials and told O’Neal he was under arrest, according to the affidavit.

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The cop’s department handgun fell from his holster onto the pavement during the tussle, the document states.

At some point, O’Neal — whose own father was an officer with Winston-Salem police for over 30 years — was done and said he wanted to leave, according to a witness. He retreated and returned to his vehicle to try to leave.

But DeLustro yelled that he would shoot him if he left and the cop’s wife tried to physically restrain O’Neal from leaving, according to a bystander who was holding back the cop.

DeLustro broke free from the bystander, scooped up his handgun from the pavement, and stepped into the passenger seat of O’Neal’s Hyundai Genesis armed with the gun.

The off-duty cop tried to claim self-defense but witnesses and video evidence show he was the “main aggressor” and the only one with a weapon, an investigation found. WXII 12

O’Neal shouted at him to get out of his car but DeLustro stayed where he was with the passenger side door open.

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The victim then began to drive away and DeLustro allegedly fired a single shot from the passenger seat, striking O’Neal once and killing him before paramedics could arrive, the affidavit states.

The Summerville Police Department placed DeLustro — who was treated for minor injuries — on administrative leave following the shooting and handed the investigation over to SLED, according to WCSC.

DeLustro began his law enforcement career with the NYPD where he worked from 1980 to 2003. Summerville Police

The cop admitted to SLED investigators that he never saw the victim with any weapon and that he never threatened to use any sort of weapon and was trying to stop O’Neal from leaving, the document states.

The special agent said DeLustro reengaged O’Neal with a deadly weapon after the fight ended in what was “reckless” behavior that gave O’Neal the right to act in self-defense, not the angry cop.

Summerville Police fired DeLustro after he was charged with murder Wednesday, WCSC reported.

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The department sympathized with both the victim’s and the alleged killer’s families in a statement online.

“This tragedy has devastated two families and we offer our deepest sympathies to both,” the statement posted to Facebook reads.

O’Neal’s cousin has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to support his parents to help with funeral expenses.

“We are all devastated at the untimely and violent death of our dear Michael–or Mike, Mikey, or O’Neal,” Amy Nail wrote in its description. “As of this writing, there are many unanswered questions, and Michael’s family is respectfully waiting for SLED to perform a thorough investigation, which takes time.”

O’Neal had disengaged with DeLustro and was trying to leave the situation when the cop allegedly shot and killed him. Facebook

DeLustro started his career with the NYPD and has worked for various police, sheriff, and campus security departments in South Carolina over the years.

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He was an officer in the NYPD between 1980 and 2003 — during which he faced three complaints of misconduct from the public, according to online records.

Two complaints were for the use of force. Both were dismissed as unfounded and unsubstantiated by the Civilian Complaint Review Board. An investigation into the third, for abuse of authority for an unnecessary traffic stop, was not completed since DeLustro left the NYPD the same year to move to the Palmetto State.

His first job in the state was working security at Trident Technical College, where his employer said his “temper was noticeable,” though he rarely received a complaint from the public, according to a reference check obtained by WCSC.

SLED’s investigation remains ongoing.

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Nancy Mace’s foul-mouthed airport tirades roil race for South Carolina governorship as rival slams ‘spoiled brat’

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Nancy Mace’s foul-mouthed airport tirades roil race for South Carolina governorship as rival slams ‘spoiled brat’


New disclosures of a foul-mouthed tirade by Rep. Nancy Mace in the Charleston airport have roiled the South Carolina governor’s race and ignited angry accusations between the lawmaker and one of her competitors in the Republican primary.

Her rival, state AG Alan Wilson, called Mace a “spoiled brat” who treats cops like “servants,” at a time when the two of them are furiously competing for support from voters – and President Trump.

Mace back in August called herself “Trump in high heels” and acknowledged “I would really like his support for governor.” So far, Trump hasn’t given it – to anybody.

An investigative report by the Charleston Airport Authority quotes police officers and TSA agents who say Rep. Nancy Mace used foul language while trying to get expedited security processing FOIA via Charleston Regional Aviation Authority

Mace this week slammed an internal Charleston Airport Authority investigation that probed her profanity-laced “spectacle” Oct. 30, when Mace chewed out police officers and TSA agents over expedited security for her outbound flight, after a planned VIP escort fell through.

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New details are still coming to light – including an earlier incident in April where Mace allegedly blew up at agents who wouldn’t let her bring a family member through expedited security, according to the investigation report. 

“This is the only airport that gives me s–t,” she complained, according to one of the numerous law enforcement officers interviewed as part of the probe.

The investigative report was obtained by The Post through a public documents request.

One interviewed TSA agent quotes Mace as telling a cop following the botched Oct. 30 escort for her arrival at an airport gate, “I’m sick of your s–t, I’m tired of having to wait.”

Another officer, an explosives tech, described Mace as being “very nasty, very rude.” She said she could hear Mace calling police officers “f–king idiots” and “f–king incompetent” and stating that she was a “f–king representative.”

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“This is the only airport that gives me s–t”, Mace said, according to testimony in the report AP

Yet the airport was “not busy at all” at the time of the incident, the officer said.

A TSA agent said during the interaction Mace “literally was on that phone talking and texting her life away” as well as “saying rude things,” according to the investigative report.

One TSA officer who had been at the airport 23 years told investigators “every VIP or whomever, dignitary, that we’ve been across and had to deal with, we never, never had this problem.”

Mace hired an attorney and threatened weeks ago to sue the airport over the October incident, but has yet to do so.

One officer noted that the airport was not crowded the morning of Oct. 30 when Mace had her meltdown FOIA via Charleston Regional Aviation Authority

The report revealed the April confrontation when agents wouldn’t let Mace bring a family member through expedited security. TSA later let her take family members with her when she got screened.

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“I thought that the way she acted showed a sense of entitlement – [that] she is entitled to special protection, she is entitled to special treatment. When she doesn’t get special treatment, she throws a tantrum. To me that harkens back to a child not getting their way,” Wilson told The Post in an interview.

“These are public servants, not personal servants,” he said of law enforcement at the airport.

State AG Alan Wilson said Mace was behaving like a “spoiled brat,” and is challenging Mace in a fierce race for governor of South Carolina. AP

Mace told CNN in an interview this week the report had been “falsified,” without providing evidence. In response to Wilson’s “brat” comment, she wrote: “Imagine being ‘Attorney General’ and flying 500 miles for the sole purpose of dismissing death threats against a single mom.”

She told The Post she has received numerous credible death threats, and said on Friday a judge denied bond to a man accused of making online threats against her. She said during the April incident TSA had violated its own policy allowing federal officials to bring a guest and separated her from her child.

Mace has been taking her case to the airwaves in a week where she trashed the House Republican leadership in a Washington Post op-ed.

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A consultant to Mace’s campaign, Austin McCubbin, resigned Dec. 1, accusing her of turning her back on MAGA and trying to “hug the political cactus that is the [Sen.] Rand Paul [and Rep.] Thomas Massie wing of the Party.”



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A Stronger Rail Network Is a Win for South Carolina’s Economy – FITSNews

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A Stronger Rail Network Is a Win for South Carolina’s Economy – FITSNews


“The combined rail system would offer the reliability our business community has been asking for…”


by NATHAN BALLENTINE

***

For as long as I’ve served in the South Carolina House, I’ve believed that strong infrastructure is the backbone of a strong economy. Whether talking about roads, bridges, broadband, or freight mobility, our ability to efficiently move people and goods determines how competitive our state will be in the decades ahead. South Carolina continues to grow at one of the fastest rates in the country, and with that growth comes a responsibility to ensure our logistics network can meet the demands of modern commerce.

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That is why the proposed merger between Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) deserves thoughtful consideration, not just at the national level, but here at home. South Carolina’s economic success is directly tied to reliable freight transportation. From advanced manufacturing in the Upstate, to the distribution and warehousing centers in the Midlands, to the countless businesses that depend on steady supply chains, every region of our state relies on a freight system that works smoothly and predictably.

When freight rail is fragmented across multiple networks, bottlenecks and delays become far more common. Businesses, especially those operating with tight production schedules and narrow delivery windows, feel the impacts immediately. A delayed railcar can throw off inventory planning, disrupt operations, and create ripple effects that stretch across an entire supply chain. These unpredictable slowdowns can be enormously costly for the companies that keep South Carolina’s economy moving.

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The Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger aims to address many of these longstanding challenges. By creating a unified network connecting more than 50,000 miles of track and linking 43 states with over 100 ports nationwide, the combined rail system would offer something our business community has been asking for: reliability. Studies indicate the merger could generate approximately $1 billion in annual cost savings and improve freight-car velocity by around 10 percent. These aren’t abstract figures, they reflect tangible improvements that would strengthen operations for employers, distributors, retailers, and consumers alike.

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“Economic development teams would also have an even stronger pitch when attracting new employers to South Carolina…”

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A more dependable rail network means companies can plan with greater precision, suppliers can manage logistics with fewer surprises, and transportation partners can commit to schedules with increased confidence. Economic development teams would also have an even stronger pitch when attracting new employers to South Carolina: not just a skilled workforce and business-friendly climate, but a transportation network capable of supporting long-term growth.

Improved rail performance also benefits South Carolina’s infrastructure more broadly. Rail is one of the most efficient ways to move goods long distances. Every shipment that travels by rail instead of truck reduces congestion on our highways, lowers fuel costs, and decreases wear and tear on roads that taxpayers ultimately fund. Better rail capacity complements, rather than replaces, our ongoing efforts to invest in roads and bridges across the state. It allows us to stretch transportation dollars further and focus on the improvements most needed in fast-growing communities.

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Another important factor is competitiveness. States across the Southeast are aggressively investing in logistics infrastructure to position themselves as national leaders in manufacturing and distribution. If South Carolina wants to stay ahead, and continue attracting companies that create stable, high-quality jobs, we must support improvements that strengthen the reliability and efficiency of our freight network. The Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger presents an opportunity to do just that.

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RELATED | SOURCES: S.C. LAWMAKERS THREATEN SUPREME COURT

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As someone who has spent nearly two decades advocating for responsible, forward-looking growth in our state, I believe that modernizing our freight system is not just a transportation issue, it is an economic necessity. Ensuring that goods can move quickly, safely, and predictably is fundamental to the success of our businesses and the financial well-being of South Carolina families.

Federal regulators will ultimately determine the path forward, and their review should be thorough and transparent. But from where I sit, the potential benefits to our state are clear. A more integrated, efficient rail system will help South Carolina businesses compete, help consumers by keeping costs lower, and help our state maintain the strong economic momentum we’ve built over the past decade.

A stronger rail network means a stronger South Carolina, and that is a future we should fully support.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Nathan Ballentine (Provided)

Nathan Ballentine represents the citizens of House District 71 in the S.C. General Assembly.

***

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LIVE: SC AG Alan Wilson, state, national leaders hold press conference on statewide drug busts

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LIVE: SC AG Alan Wilson, state, national leaders hold press conference on statewide drug busts


Statehouse Reporter Mary Green will have more on this tonight.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – South Carolina Attorney General and other officials will be holding a press conference Friday at 9:30 a.m. to talk about statewide drug busts.

Wilson is set to be joined by South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel, representatives from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security, as well as several local sheriffs and other law enforcement partners.

Watch the full press conference in the video above.

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