Lawyer Is Suspended Amid Allegations He Punched and Bit a Cop Who Tasered Him
A South Carolina lawyer won’t be allowed to practice law during an investigation of allegations that he punched and bit a state trooper in Utah.
Charleston lawyer Michael DuPree was placed on interim suspension last month due to his arrest in Park City, Utah, the Post and Courier reports. According to police reports cited by the newspaper, the March 22 incident began when a state trooper pulled over a car in which DuPree was riding. DuPree allegedly swore at the officer, refused to identify himself and refused to get out of the car.
After an officer shocked DuPree with a stun gun, DuPree allegedly punched the trooper in the mouth and then bit him on the arm as the two men wrestled. Other officers then stepped in to subdue DuPree, the report said. He was charged with assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, public intoxication and disorderly conduct, the story says.
The state supreme court order says the court originally denied a request to place DuPree on interim suspension on April 13, then reversed itself five days later.
The Post and Courier was unable to reach DuPree for comment. He worked as a prosecutor in Charleston County until 2003. He now handles tort and criminal cases, including DUI defense.
