Woman rescued from three-vehicle wreck
Burton firefighters responded to a three-vehicle accident just after 10:30 a.m. July 20, which involved a female driver being rescued and a bystander collapsing.
Burton firefighters were called to the scene on Robert Smalls Parkway in front of Stokes Honda, where a female driver was trapped inside her car. They were able to rescue the driver, who was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital with potentially serious injuries.
An occupant of another vehicle, who appeared to have non-life threatening injuries, was also transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Two lanes of Robert Smalls Parkway were closed for approximately 45 minutes while emergency crews rescued the driver, assisted the injured and removed roadway hazards.
While attending to the accident, Burton firefighters also provided medical attention to a bystander who collapsed on the sidewalk. The bystander was also transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital.
Also, on July 21, Burton firefighters responded to a crash on Robert Smalls Parkway at the foot of the Broad River Bridge.
The two-vehicle accident resulted in both vehicles being heavily damaged and one driver being transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Man sentenced to 20 years for robbery
A Ridgeland man who robbed a woman at knifepoint outside a Jasper County bank in January has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
A Jasper County jury took just 13 minutes to convict Archie Glenn Whitfield, 60, of armed robbery and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
On Jan. 5, a woman reported that while standing at the South State Bank ATM on Jacob Smart Boulevard in Ridgeland, a man holding a butcher knife and wearing a gray sweatshirt and jeans robbed her of $120.
Ridgeland Police arrived quickly and found the defendant hiding behind a nearby tree. He took off running, but was caught by officers.
The stolen cash was found in the man’s pants pocket and the woman positively identified Whitfield as the man who robbed her.
“Mr. Whitfield has a lengthy criminal record from both South Carolina and Georgia,” said Assistant Solicitor Patrick Hall. “Mr. Whitfield is going back to where he belongs.”
Whitfield has convictions dating back to 1978.
Circuit Court Judge Michael Nettles handed down the sentence.
Beware of scammers impersonating police
Lady’s Island residents have recently reported telephone calls from a man impersonating a law enforcement officer, similar to those reported by residents in June on Hilton Head Island.
The caller has been identifying himself as “Officer Howard Jones” or “Lt. Howard Jones” from the “Citations Section” of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
The caller directs the citizen to a retail store to purchase a Green Dot card and then to provide him the card number to avoid incarceration.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office does not employ an Officer Howard Jones or a Lt. Howard Jones.
No member of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office will ever ask a citizen for payment of a fine over the telephone or otherwise in lieu of being arrested.
Man shot on Dulamo Road, St. Helena Island
A man was shot in the early afternoon hours of July 18 on Dulamo Road on St. Helena Island.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to report of a gunshot victim outside of a home on Dulamo Road, where a man had been wounded by an unknown subject with a shotgun while sitting outside on his porch.
The victim was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for treatment of multiple wounds to his upper body and extremities caused by shotgun pellets.
Investigators were able to locate and collect evidence consistent with a shotgun blast at the scene, although no subject has been identified.
Anyone with information on the identity of the subject is urged to contact Sgt. Adam Draisen at 843-255-3409 or CrimeStoppers 1-888-CrimeSC if they want to remain anonymous and to collect a possible reward.
Police: Don’t take your eyes off the road
In light of the rapidly increasing use of gaming apps such as Pokemon Go on handheld devices, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office strongly advises residents and visitors against using them while driving.
“The use of a gaming app on a handheld device creates an unnecessary distraction that puts you and other motorists at increased risk of an accident,” states a sheriff’s office release. “We urge you to be attentive while operating a motor vehicle on our roadways and only to use gaming apps in appropriate settings. The safety of our residents and visitors remains the top priority of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.”
Man arrested, charged with sexual exploitation
A lead from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) led the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office to arrest a man on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to a sheriff’s report, ICAC told the sheriff’s office that child pornography was being downloaded from the Internet on computers or electronic devices at a Port Royal residence.
Further investigation substantiated the lead and identified the Port Royal residence where the child pornography had been downloaded. Subsequently, a warrant was obtained by investigators for 21 Mariners Court in Port Royal to search for computers and other electronic devices inside of the residence.
Investigators, armed with a search warrant, say they found two iPads, four iPhones, a laptop computer, a Nook and an iPod.
The suspect, Roger K. Elliott, 51, was at the home during the search, but was not charged at the time.
Preliminary examinations on the computer and electronic devices seized from the home revealed a history of files related to child pornography, according to the sheriff’s office.
Elliott was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor-second degree.
He is being held at the Beaufort County Detention Center.
Additional charges may be considered pending the results of more extensive forensic examinations on the seized computer and electronic items.
Man wanted in Burton shooting
Jerome Priester, 26, is wanted in a shooting that took place recently on Wildcat Lane in Burton.
During an argument with the male victim, Priester pulled a handgun and fired at least twice, grazing the victim’s head, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Priester ran from the scene into a nearby wooded area, but he wasn’t found by sheriff’s office personnel, who searched the area.
The victim was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for treatment of the gunshot wound. A number of eyewitnesses identified Priester as the shooter.
Warrants were issued for Priester’s arrest on charges of attempted murder and possession of a weapon in the commission of a violent crime.
Priester is still at large with a last known address in Varnville. He is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached, the sheriff’s office said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact sheriff’s office investigator Brandon Disbrow at 843-255-3407 or CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CrimeSC if they want to remain anonymous and possibly collect a reward.
