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Baby injured, parents arrested 6-month-old hospitalized with blunt-force trauma, several broken bones BY COLLYN TAYLOR intern@theitem.com Two Sumter residents are behind bars after their infant was hospitalized suffering multiple injuries. Sumter County Sheriff’s Office learned that a 6-month-old boy suffered multiple injuries, including blunt-force trauma to the face and several broken bones. The sheriff’s office investigation began after it was notified by repre-
Officials offer safety tips for July 4th
sentatives of Tuomey Regional Medical Center about possible child abuse when the infant was brought in to the hospital by another relative. According to South Carolina law, hospitals are required to report any possible child abuse cases. According to sheriff’s office Public Information Officer Braden Bunch, one of the infant’s legs had one fracture, and the other had two. Bunch said after the initial investigation, deputies think the baby was
punched in the face and thrown to the ground. The child’s mother, Dionna Boatwright, 18, of 222 Loring Drive, and his father, Christopher BOATWRIGHT Womack, 22, 432 E. Charlotte Ave., were each arrested and charged with one count of unlawful conduct toward a child. The felony charges carry jail time at the court’s discretion for as many as
10 years. Womack also faces one charge of infliction or allowing infliction of great bodily injury upon a child. If convicted, that charge carries a maxiWOMACK mum 20-year sentence. Bunch said the investigation is ongoing, and deputies are discussing other charges the two
SEE INFANT, PAGE A7
Staying cool and having fun
BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com As you prepare to observe America’s independence this weekend, make sure to practice safe habits when setting off fireworks in order to prevent your celebration from going up in smoke. Sumter Police Department Public Information Officer Tonyia McGirt said the city does not have an ordinance that specifically addresses fireworks use for the holiday, but the department does ask residents to always use caution and to be considerate of others. She said the department will have extra patrols this weekend and will be ready to respond to fireworks-related calls. McGirt said to not discuss weekend travel plans and arrange to have someone pick up mail and newspapers or have the services stopped while away. She said anyone interested in having the department watch their property can contact Sumter Police Department at (803) 436-2700 or fill out a property watch form, which can be found at sumterpd.com under the “Forms” tab. Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Braden Bunch said the department recognizes that this weekend is a time for celebration but asks residents of Sumter County to be mindful of themselves and others. Bunch said there are no regulations regarding fireworks in the county, but he does urge
SEE FIREWORKS, PAGE A8
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Lilly Briggs, 7, spends a brief second walking on water as her mother, Kimberly, throws her into Old Levi Mill Lake at Poinsett Park on Saturday.
Statue of white supremacist, former S.C. governor vandalized COLUMBIA (AP) — Authorities are investigating the vandalism of a statue of a segregationist South Carolina governor as the state grapples with heightened tension concerning Confederate symbols after of a massacre at a black church in Charleston.
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Red paint was seen dripping Tuesday from the statue of “Pitchfork” Ben Tillman on the Statehouse grounds in Columbia. Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Sherri Iacobelli said an officer saw what appeared to be a red paintball on the statue during
morning rounds. Workers were cleaning the statue Tuesday afternoon. Tillman, a noted white supremacist who unapologetically advocated lynching any black who tried to vote, spent three decades — from 1890 to 1918 — as governor and as a
DEATHS, B7 Eden Olivia Coker Stanford R. Ardis Harry L. Leach Ruth Hudson
Mary Alice James John Titus Sr. Gladys G. Avins Brian K. Craft
U.S. senator. In 1940, the state commemorated him with an 8-foot bronze statue, on which Tillman is described as a “friend and leader of the common people.” The Tillman statue faces a Confederate flag and monument to Confederate soldiers,
around which security has been increased because of protests after the slayings of nine people June 17 at Emanuel AME Church. The suspect, Dylann Storm Roof, appears in a number of
SEE FLAG, PAGE A8
WEATHER, A10
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3 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 218
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