VIDEO: Woman suing Surfside Beach officer, blames brain injury on his ‘excessive force’

An Horry County woman is suing the Surfside Police Department and one of its sergeants, alleging a violent take down during an August 2021 arrest left her with permanent brain and face injuries.

A lawsuit filed Dec. 15 by attorneys representing Jessica Melton is seeking unspecified damages for what they deemed as excessive force by Sgt. John Gambone.

The suit faults Surfside Beach for not adequately training Gambone in use of force tactics and blames the officer for violating Melton’s fourth, eighth and 14th Constitutional rights.

Surfside Beach spokesman Robert Blomquist wasn’t immediately available.

A one-minute and 39-second dashcam video posted on YouTube and attached to the lawsuit is from Gambone’s cruiser. The video posted to Evans Moore LLC’s YouTube page shows the interaction. Lawyers from the firm are part of Melton’s legal team. It is unclear if the video is the entire encounter.

The clip shows Gambone approaching the passenger side of a vehicle after making a traffic stop. He approaches the passenger side and tells Melton there’s an outstanding warrant for her arrest.

While attempting to put her in handcuffs he says he’ll explain the warrant after detaining her. Melton starts to struggle and the officer tells her to “cut it out” and “don’t (expletive) move.”

Melton then asks for her prescription medication and reaches for it in cuffs.

“I’m gonna take you down on the ground and hurt you if you don’t stop,” Gambino tells her before slamming her to the ground after two more warnings.

“I ain’t playing,” he said, after getting her on the ground.

Melton is motionless for at least five seconds and then begins moaning in pain.

“That’s the way it goes man, I didn’t do it on purpose. he went down on the ground, that’s where she went, I’m not going to argue with you,” Gambone tells a man traveling with Melton.

“At no time did she pose a risk of flight or of danger to Sgt. Gambone or the public,” the lawsuit states. “Nonetheless, while Ms. Melton’s hands were behind her back, Sgt. Gambone excessively and violently threw Ms. Melton to the ground, face first, causing her to lose consciousness and suffer from serious, permanent injuries to her face and brain.”