A popular Intracoastal Waterway spot became the site where a few local families say two men exposed themselves in front of their children.
The two men have been identified as police officers.
The Myrtle Beach police department says it is conducting an internal investigation into the incident. According to sources, the officer with the Myrtle Beach police department is David Gaither.
On Tuesday, Captain David Knipes confirms that Gaither was terminated on Monday.
One of the people that called police says an employee with the Horry County Police Department told him that Charles Dean was the other officer involved. Horry County Sgt. Robert Kegler says Dean has resigned, as of Monday. Kegler says Dean had been working for the department since October of 2006.
The group of people who reported the incident with police shared their story with News 13.
Norman Balderson says, “Two of the guys on their boat took their bathing suits off and went out in the intercoastal waterway naked and they kept doing it. As a matter of fact, one of them came out shaking his privates at our boat which included our children.”
“My seven-year-old come up to me and said ‘hey I saw his privates.’ We hollered at them they need to knock it off. There's children over here,” said Sarah Delossantos.
James Styron also witnessed the incident. “I saw them take their bathing suits off and wave them. A pair of black bathing suits go through the air. Some of them were wearing their girlfriend's tops,” said Styron.
When that happened the parents took their children and left the waterway to complain to Boathouse security. Before leaving, Balderson took photos of the people shot-gunning beers and drinking heavily. However, he did not take pictures of the people naked. After showing the photos to security, he learned that two of the men who he says exposed themselves worked in law enforcement.
“And I told him to his face. I understand you're a Myrtle Beach cop. You're supposed to know better than this. And he goes, yeah, you're right. And that's all that was said, like big deal, you know," said Balderson.
Balderson says he wants a public apology. Styron wants justice and says the officers should be prosecuted like anyone else accused of a crime.
"I think if it was anybody else, you know, there'd be an arrest. There'd be an investigation. They'd be on a sex offenders list," Styron said.
Delossantos is worried about how her kids are processing the incident.
Delossantos said, "You know my children are supposed to be able to call 9-1-1 and get these police officers to come help if there's an emergency but at the same time, my kids are now thinking, you know, these people are out drunk on the waterway and showing themselves to me, do I really want to depend on them?"
Myrtle Beach Police Capt. David Knipes said his department does not discuss personnel issues while an internal investigation is going on.
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