Who is Anthony DeLustro? Former Summerville Cop Charged with Murder

Anthony DeLustro, a former Summerville Police Department officer has been charged with murder for the death of one Michael O’Neal.

DeLustro, 64, and the victim, 39, got into an altercation in Summerville last month at a Chick-fil-A on North Main Street.

According to witness accounts, DeLustro had a confrontation with O’Neal that turned into a fight, with DeLustro telling O’Neal he was under arrest.

O’Neal apparently ignored DeLustro’s claims and entered his vehicle to flee, but DeLustro got into his front passenger seat armed with his service weapon handgun.

O’Neal told DeLustro to get out of the vehicle and attempted to drive off when the former cop fired, killing O’Neal.

During the investigation, DeLustro said “he was in fear for the community’s safety and his wife’s safety,” but eyewitness accounts and video evidence do not support those claims, the warrant said.

“A reasonable person could not have reasonably believed that the victim posed a threat of imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury to others because the victim was unarmed, walked away from the altercation and attempted to leave in his vehicle,” the warrant said.

Posts on social media also appeared to agree with the conclusion.

One person said: “I am friends with a lot of POLICE OFFICERS!! I am NOT ANTI COP. I AM HOWEVER ANTI ROGUE COP !! Anthony Delustro of the Summerville Police Department , YOU WERE WRONG!!! You were the AGGRESSOR!!:

“Your wife was trying to hold you back,because she knew you were wrong! You pushed, kicked and killed Michael O’Neal because of YOUR ROAD RAGE!! Justice needs to be served QUICKLY !!”

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division charged DeLustro with murder over the incident.

According to public records, Anthony DeLustro started his career with the NYPD in 1980, retiring in 2002.

He joined the Summerville Police Department from 2007 to 2009 and rejoined in 2023.

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