Inmate tased during Horry County jail fight. He’s now paralyzed, lawsuit claims
.JPG "The use of a taser during an inmate fight at J. Reuben Long Detention led to one inmate being paralyzed, a new lawsuit claims. File photo from 2024")
An Horry County detention officer’s use of his taser during a fight between inmates has left one inmate with permanent injuries, according to a lawsuit.
Chance Benson was involved in a physical fight with three other inmates on July 15, 2024, at J. Reuben Long Detention Center, the lawsuit filed Monday alleges. The suit claims Benson was placed into a headlock by another inmate during the fight. A detention officer then intervened and tased both inmates without warning.
When the other inmate was tased, his body tensed, and he fell backwards, bringing Benson down with him, the suit said. This caused more pressure to be applied to Benson’s neck as his arms tensed, cutting off his air supply, according to the lawsuit.
Graham “Grey” Holmes is representing Benson in the personal injury lawsuit, which names Horry County, the Horry County Sheriff’s Office and J. Reuben Long Detention Center as defendants.
Holmes did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication. Horry County and the Horry County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Benson, due to being tased, was unable to remove himself from the other inmate’s grip or protect himself during the fall.
The fall caused Benson to hit his head on the ground, which the lawsuit alleges led to permanent, severe injuries.
Benson was being held in J. Reuben Long Detention Center on charges that he shot at police officers during the 2023 Carolina Country Music Festival. He pleaded guilty to the charges in June 2025 and is currently serving a 10-year sentence.
Benson’s attorney during his criminal case, David Rigney, previously told media in 2024 that Benson’s injuries from the fall led to him being paralyzed from the chest down.