COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina law officers who experience mental trauma after killing someone in the line of duty aren't entitled to workers' compensation, according to a ruling released Wednesday by the state's Supreme Court.
In a 3-2 decision, the justices ruled that current law doesn't cover mental health benefits for such officers because they are trained in the use of deadly force and know that they may have to use it. The way the statute is written, only officers who experience mental stress from "extraordinary and unusual" job conditions are eligible for benefits, the court concluded.
In 2009, Spartanburg County deputy sheriff Brandon Bentley killed a man who he said threatened to take his gun and kill him. Afterward, Bentley said he suffered from anxiety and depression, and doctors said he was too stressed to continue his work as a deputy.
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