Man mistakenly released from jail

Brian Smalls was mistakenly released from a Berkeley County Jail Friday morning while he still faces charges for allegedly assisting in the kidnapping and killing of Lincolnville Constable Robert Bailey.

Smalls was released from jail early Friday and the mishap was not recognized until later that day and the media was not notified until 10 p.m. that evening. Deputies from Berkeley County and Charleston County were looking for him, but were unsuccessful.

Although held in Berkeley County, Charleston County Sheriff's Office Maj. John Clark blames Charleston County for the mishap.

Clark discusses the incident:
The Berkeley jail called the Charleston jail to inquire about the accessory charge, and that's when the mistake was made…‘This release and error was not the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office's fault,’ Clark said. ‘If anybody is to blame, it's Charleston County. We dropped the ball.’

Police said Smalls is dangerous and that they are doing everything in their power to reclaim him.

Head over to the The Post and Courier to learn about Smalls' accidental release.

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