SLED opens active investigation into alleged Election Day confrontation at Green Pond polling place
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
An alleged confrontation at a Colleton County polling location on Election Day has prompted an investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division after Democratic House District 121 nominee Shannon DeLoach claimed that incumbent Rep. Michael Rivers pointed a handgun at DeLoach’s uncle, Oliver Francis, during an encounter outside the Green Pond Community Center.
The incident allegedly occurred Tuesday, June 9, at the polling place on Ivenia Brown Road in Green Pond while voters were casting ballots.
On Wednesday afternoon, SLED Public Information Officer Renée Wunderlich confirmed to The Island News that the agency has opened an investigation into the matter.
“Following a review of the request, SLED has opened an investigation into the matter below,” Wunderlich wrote in an email. “SLED’s investigation is active and ongoing at this time.”
No charges have been announced.
The alleged incident
According to DeLoach, both he and Rivers were present at the polling location Tuesday afternoon greeting voters when the encounter occurred.
DeLoach said he approached Rivers and attempted to have a cordial conversation despite tensions that had developed during the campaign.
“I shook his hand and pat him on the back,” DeLoach told The Island News. “Just wanted to let him know, however things go, I’ll give you a call tonight.”
DeLoach said Rivers responded by asking, “When it’s all said and done, how much you going to sell my signs back to me for?”
“I said, ‘Sir, what are you talking about?'” DeLoach said. “I said, ‘Why can’t we just have a cordial conversation with one another?'”
DeLoach said Rivers dismissed the conversation.
“So I said, ‘You know what, sir? You’re good. Have a good day. I can see you can’t be cordial with me,'” DeLoach said.
According to DeLoach, Rivers then got back into his vehicle.
Francis, who had been sitting in DeLoach’s truck during the exchange, then got out and approached Rivers’ vehicle.
“I said leave my nephew alone. Stop lying on my nephew,” Francis told The Island News.
According to DeLoach, Rivers stopped near the exit of the parking lot before allegedly retrieving a handgun.
“As he was rolling near the end of the driveway, he stopped,” DeLoach said. “That’s when he reached down. He pulled up the pistol. He leaned over to my uncle, pointed it, and then put it in the air.”
DeLoach said Rivers then drove away from the polling place.
Francis provided a similar account.
“And he reached down and pulled out the gun and turned and pointed at me and he put it up in the air and he pulled off,” Francis said.
Correcting the record
DeLoach said he wanted to correct misinformation that circulated on social media Tuesday afternoon after an initial livestream incorrectly stated that Rivers had pointed the firearm at both DeLoach and Francis.
“It wasn’t me that he pulled the gun on. It was my uncle,” DeLoach said.
The social media post was later removed and replaced with a second video in which the creator acknowledged the mistake and clarified that Francis, not DeLoach, was the individual at whom the firearm was allegedly pointed.
DeLoach said he felt it was important to correct the record despite the seriousness of the allegation.
“I was there. I witnessed it. But it wasn’t me that he pointed the gun at,” DeLoach said. “It was my uncle.”
DeLoach said he also wanted to ensure accurate information was available because he was concerned details could become distorted.
“The [deputy] didn’t interview me, so that’s why I wanted to clear this up before it gets out of control,” he said.
A contentious campaign
DeLoach said the campaign has become increasingly contentious in recent weeks, particularly as debates surrounding conservation, development and local issues drew strong reactions from supporters on both sides.
When asked how heated the race had become, DeLoach responded, “Everything.”
He accused Rivers of repeatedly making false claims about his campaign and his positions on local issues.
“He’s been just saying so many lies,” DeLoach said. “I’ve been backed by a developer. I’m against the CPO. These things are not true.”
Throughout the campaign, DeLoach and Rivers found themselves at the center of debates over development, conservation and the future of Gullah-Geechee communities in portions of Beaufort and Colleton counties. Supporters on both sides frequently clashed online and at public meetings as the primary drew closer.
DeLoach said he believed much of the tension stemmed from misinformation about his positions and campaign supporters.
“I support my culture. My heritage is Gullah-Geechee,” DeLoach said. “I don’t know anything about these developers.”
He also disputed claims that outside interests were supporting his campaign, noting that campaign finance records are publicly available.
Francis said he believes DeLoach focused his campaign on issues affecting residents rather than personal attacks.
“We played the high road,” Francis said. “All my nephew did was talk about the issues, about what he wants to do when he gets elected to 121 to make the district and the people’s situation better.”
DeLoach said he has tried throughout the campaign to remain focused on serving the district rather than engaging in personal disputes.
“I just try to remain cordial. I’m a non-confrontational type person,” DeLoach said. “This is not what it should be about. You can’t take these things personal.”
DeLoach said he believes campaigns should focus on serving constituents rather than personal conflicts between candidates.
“I’m not running against him. I’m running for the seat.”
Sheriff’s Office response
Following the incident, Francis contacted the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office. DeLoach said deputies responded and took a report. Photographs provided to The Island News show a responding deputy’s business card with a case number written on it.
Francis said he was frustrated by what he described as the initial response from law enforcement after reporting the incident.
According to Francis, the responding deputy questioned him about what had occurred and then suggested Rivers’ alleged actions were legal.
“The deputy came out … I said, ‘The guy pointed at me.’ He said, ‘You sure?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ And he said, ‘He can do that,'” Francis told The Island News.
Francis said the deputy ultimately took a report and provided him with a case number. However, both Francis and DeLoach said they later questioned whether the information they were given was accurate.
“Why would you come at a polling place with a gun?” Francis said.
South Carolina law makes it unlawful to point or present a loaded or unloaded firearm at another person, except in limited circumstances such as lawful self-defense or theatrical performances.
While South Carolina law prohibits handguns inside polling places on election days, the alleged incident described by DeLoach and Francis occurred outside the building in the parking lot of the Green Pond polling location.
DeLoach said he intends to continue following up with law enforcement regarding the complaint and the information initially provided to his uncle.
In an email response to The Island News Tuesday evening, Colleton County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Lt. Laura Rutland said she was out of town but gathering information about the incident.
“I know that any incidents that are reported at polling locations would be deferred to the S.C. Law Enforcement Division for investigation,” Rutland wrote. “Any inquiries of such incidents will be deferred to the SLED [public information officer] and additional information will be released when appropriate.”
On Wednesday, the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release confirming deputies became aware of the alleged altercation at approximately 1:46 p.m., June 9 while voters were casting ballots at the Green Pond Community Center.
According to the release, Rivers had left the location before deputies arrived.
The sheriff’s office stated that after receiving information alleging a firearm was displayed during the altercation, it notified SLED. Because the allegation involves a sitting state representative, the investigation was deferred to the state agency.
Records obtained by The Island News show the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office classified the incident as an aggravated assault investigation and identified Rivers as the suspect in an alleged violation of South Carolina’s pointing-and-presenting firearms statute.
The incident report lists the offense as “Pointing and Presenting Firearms at a Person” under South Carolina Code 16-23-410 and identifies Rivers as both the offender and suspect. The report also classifies the case under South Carolina Incident Based Reporting System code 13A, aggravated assault. The report, printed June 10 and marked approved, remained listed as active and indicates deputies responded to a threats call at the Green Pond polling location shortly after 1:46 p.m., June 9.
The report’s narrative consists of a single sentence stating deputies responded to the location “in reference to threats,” while the offense section identifies the alleged offense as pointing and presenting firearms at a person. The report does not indicate that Rivers has been charged.
Earlier Wednesday, Wunderlich told The Island News she had not yet been made aware of the case but would look into whether it had been referred to the agency. Later that afternoon, she confirmed SLED had opened an investigation.
Previous investigation
The current allegation is not the first time Rivers has faced allegations involving a firearm.
Records obtained by The Island News show that the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office investigated Rivers in 2022 following allegations that he pointed a firearm during a dispute on St. Helena Island. The incident report identified Rivers as the suspect in an aggravated assault investigation and states the matter was referred to SLED because Rivers was serving as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives at the time.
The records were originally obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed by a local resident and later provided to The Island News.
The outcome of that investigation was not immediately available. The Island News has submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to SLED seeking records related to that investigation.
Election outcome
The Island News attempted to contact Rivers by phone and text message Tuesday evening and again Wednesday but had not received a response before online publication.
The incident occurred just hours before the conclusion of the Democratic primary election. Later Tuesday night, DeLoach defeated Rivers, receiving 53.7% of the vote to Rivers’ 46.3%, according to unofficial election results, securing the Democratic nomination for House District 121.
DeLoach will advance to the Nov. 3 general election, where he will face Republican Shelley Gay Yuhas.
This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.