Broken Badges: Rookie McCormick Officer Charged with Misconduct
By James Seidel | CC News Network
McCORMICK, S.C. — Broken badges: A rookie McCormick police officer has been suspended and now faces criminal charges following an investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
Officer Matthew Dillon Yonn, 28, was placed on paid administrative leave earlier this month as SLED launched an inquiry into an alleged on-duty incident. Yonn, who was hired on Sept. 4, 2023, had been out of the police academy for only four months when the alleged misconduct took place.
A warrant affidavit alleges, Yonn, “while acting in his capacity as a law enforcement officer for the Town of McCormick Police Department, did engage in sexual acts with a woman in the vicinity of his Town of McCormick Police Department patrol vehicle at the Piedmont Technical College-McCormick Campus, and these sexual acts occurred while the Defendant was on duty and in uniform, in violation of the Common Law of South Carolina” between April 1, 2024 and May 9, 2024.
SLED announced Monday that Yonn has been formally charged with Misconduct in Office as of Feb. 7, 2025. He was booked into the McCormick County Detention Center, and his case will be prosecuted by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.
Department in Crisis
Yonn’s suspension comes at a time when the McCormick Police Department is struggling with staffing shortages. The department currently has four certified officers and one uncertified officer, with two open positions that Willis is looking to fill.
However, Yonn is still pictured and listed as an officer for the McCormick Police Department on the department’s website.
An internal investigation by the McCormick Police Department will follow once SLED completes its findings, Willis confirmed.
Falling Standards in Law Enforcement?
Yonn had no prior disciplinary record, according to his personnel file. His rapid fall from grace—just months into his first year on the force—raises serious questions about the hiring and oversight of rookie officers in smaller police departments.
🚨 CC News Network will continue to follow developments in this case. Stay tuned for more updates in the ongoing Broken Badges series, exposing corruption and misconduct in South Carolina law enforcement
