NEWBERRY COUNTY – A deputy with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office has been fired after he was arrested off-duty over the holiday weekend in Newberry.
According to records from the Newberry County Detention Center, 37-year-old Justin Eric Gray was arrested on Saturday on a charge of public disorderly conduct and booked into jail.
Cherokee County Sheriff Steve Mueller confirmed Gray had been employed as a school resource officer with the sheriff’s office since July 2025.
Initially, Mueller said Gray’s employment status with the department will be determined after his release from jail.
“Our staff is reminded on a regular basis that we must follow the laws and our actions as law enforcement officers must always be above reproach. This arrest should not take away all the hard work and dedication of all the officers that are doing things right on a daily basis in this noble profession,” said Mueller. “The great men and women of the Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center will continue to serve with honor, professionalism, excellence, dedication and above all with integrity.”