April 2, 2013

Page 1

SLED: Sumter No. 3 in crime County amasses 30-percent increase in violent offenses

CLARENDON SUN Manning man talks about his adventures in TV series about photography

SHS PICKS ENGLISH Former Gamecock, Chicago Bull ofered head boys basketball position

C1

B1 VOL. 118, NO. 139

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA

FOUNDED OCTOBER 15, 1894

60 CENTS

Man resists Tasers, attack dog

BY BRADEN BUNCH bbunch@theitem.com Violent crime in Sumter County climbed 30 percent in 2011, giving the area the thirdhighest violent crime rate in the state for that year, according to statistics released by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division on Monday. nThe dramatic increase in the annual violent crime statistics comes at the same time SLED reports statewide violent crime fell 2.2 percent in 2011. Sumter County’s rate of 114.4 offenses for every 10,000 people in 2011 left the county behind only Greenwood County (188.3) and Dillon County (130.4) in percapita violent crime. Sumter’s rate was easily the highest of any of the counties part of a metropolitan area in the state. The next highest metropolitan county was Richland County, with a rate of 91.6. In 2010, Sumter County ranked seventh in the state, with a violent crime rate of 88.0. Statewide, violent crimes fell from a rate of 60.96 in 2010 to 59.59 offenses in 2011, a drop of 2.2 percent. Nationally, the violent crime rate sat at 38.6 offenses per 10,000 people in 2011, according to SLED. Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis said the 2011 numbers illustrated a spike in local violent crime activity, which he attributed to gang-related and drug-related activity. Dennis also said “there’s no doubt in my mind” violent crime has dropped since then. “In 2011, I know we had sev- DENNIS eral gang-related homicides,” Dennis said. “But in 2012, some of the preventative measures we have done have shown a reduction of almost 50 percent of that (homicides), as well as violent crime.” SLED defines violent crime as either: murder, rape, robbery or aggravated assault, involving “the element of personal confrontation between the victim and offender.” In its report, SLED said its statistics are gathered from law enforcement agencies around the state. And while SLED said statewide violent crime fell marginally, the rate of murders in the state climbed more than 21 percent. In total, SLED said there were 322 murders in South Carolina in 2011 — 17 in Sumter County — as opposed to 265 statewide in

PHOTOS BY JADE ANDERSON / THE ITEM

ABOVE: Lt. Chris Moore with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office holds a bean bag shot. He also carries rubber ball shots, which he said have the same affect. LEFT: Moore holds up a shotgun used to fire items such as rubber bullets and bean bags. Although a regular shotgun, it is marked orange to identify it as shooting nonlethal ammo.

Bean bag gun shots hurt 23-year-old who led officers on chase

Officers use variety of non-lethal tactics BY JADE ANDERSON janderson@theitem.com Bean bag rounds are not the only non-lethal items used by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. “The bean bag is shot like a regular shot gun, and it’s one of the last devices we use prior to using a lethal weapon,” said Sheriff Anthony Dennis. “The bean bag in itself is non-lethal and is pretty much meant to immobi-

BY ROB COTTINGHAM rcottingham@theitem.com A Sumter man remained in serious but stable condition in a Columbia hospital Monday, recovering from multiple injuries suffered in an arrest in which officers said he endured three bean bag rounds, two Taser strikes and an attack by a trained canine officer. Akeem Desmond Logan, 23, of 920 Utah Circle, was arrested LOGAN about 3 p.m. Saturday and charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest after deputies said he led officers on a nearly hourlong chase, involving several reported altercations with law enforcement.

lize a person.” However, that wasn’t the case Saturday as officers tried to subdue a difficult suspect, who remains in a Columbia hospital after reports indicate he was struck with the bean bag rounds. Through normal and intended use, such weapons are not meant to cause death or serious bodily injury, states the office’s use SEE TACTICS, PAGE A6

SEE CRIME, PAGE A8

SEE RESISTANCE, PAGE A6

Topiary artist recognized for conservation efforts BY RANDY BURNS Special to The Item

From left, Pearl and Metra Fryar stand with Frances Drayton, chair of the Henry Durant Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s conservation committee. Fryar received an award for his conservation efforts from the national group.

BISHOPVILLE — Bishopville’s most awarded celebrity will have to find space for yet another award. Pearl Fryar, the nationally acclaimed topiary artist, has received the 2013 National Society Daughters of American Revolution Conservation Award for outstanding achieve-

PHOTO PROVIDED

20 N. Magnolia St. Sumter, SC 29150 (USPS 525-900)

www.theitem.com

ment in conservation. Earlier in the year, Fryar won a statewide award, the 2013 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts, the highest honor the state presents in the arts. “I guess I’m going to have to try to buy a house to put all these awards and make a museum,” Fryar said. “This never gets old. I appreciate every one. These awards are rewards

Information: 774-1200 Advertising: 774-1236 Classifieds: 774-1234 Delivery: 774-1258 News, Sports: 774-1226

SEE FRYAR, PAGE A8

OUTSIDE PARTLY SUNNY

DEATHS Mary Willingham Leroy Hannibal Allene H. Weeks Frances T. McCutchen Mary L. Fullard Harry Lee Bryant Linda D. Longberry

for all the hard work. But anything you do with a passion is not work.” Fryar will formally receive the conservation award at a statewide National Society Daughters of American Revolution convention Friday in Columbia. This past Thursday, Fryar and his wife, Metra, were the guests at the

Owney Crenshaw Robert White Donald E. Wilson Rebecca R. Turner Reginald Webster Timothy W. Coleman

INSIDE 3 SECTIONS, 28 PAGES

Pleasant throughout the day with sun and clouds; mostly cloudy and chilly at night. HIGH: 67 LOW: 46 B6

A8

Clarendon Sun Classifieds Comics Daily Planner Opinion Television

C1 B6 C6 A8 A7 A5


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
April 2, 2013 by The Sumter Item - Issuu