STATE BRIEFS

Chief favors

Sunday beer sales

CHARLESTON - Support your local firefighters and buy some beer on Sunday.

That's the thought of the fire chief of the Old Fort Fire Company. Chief Ed Genthert says if Dorchester County allowed Sunday alcohol sales, it would help local fire departments.

Genthert says unincorporated parts of the county are losing because people go into towns such as Summerville to buy beer on Sunday. Genthert says that costs the county tax revenue and costs the fire department money to operate.

The Charleston Post and Courier reports Dorchester County Council gave initial approval Monday to putting Sunday alcohol sales on a November referendum.

Genthert says the department isn't sponsoring the alcohol bill, but is concerned about lost revenues.

Man kicked

by trooper sues

COLUMBIA - A New York man kicked repeatedly by a state trooper during his arrest is suing him and the Public Safety Department.

The State newspaper of Columbia reported Wednesday the lawsuit filed by Sergio Caridi in Florence states he suffered ''significant physical injuries'' in his arrest on various trafficrelated offenses in 2006. He's awaiting trial.

Caridi says former Cpl. John Sawyer used excessive force. Sawyer resigned during an investigation.

The suit says the Public Safety Department was negligent in training and supervising Sawyer.

Agency spokesman Sid Gaulden says he hasn't seen the lawsuit and would not talk about it. Neither would John O'Leary, who's representing Sawyer.

Video from a trooper's dashboard camera shows Sawyer kicking Caridi repeatedly while he was on the ground.

(Associated Press)