‘Let’s move forward’ State law enforcement association president discusses bettering relationships between officers and citizens BY ADRIENNE SARVIS ficult for them to operate in their tions with citizens shows the public [email protected] communities, Jackson said. that law enforcement personnel SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2016 $1.50 During the conference, he said are human. Palmetto State Law Enforcement the officers discussed "It is our duty to engage the com- SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 Officers Association held its 55th ways to stay engaged munity," Jackson said. "We're going conference during the past week in their local commu- to do what we took an oath to do, and Capt. Jeffery Jackson with nities to bridge the which is to protect and serve." Sumter Police Department and gap between officers Citizens could also take the first president of the association, said and citizens. step in engaging with officers to this year's conference was about Officers are encour- see what they do on a daily basis, advocating for peace and open dia- aged to take owner- Jackson said. 5 SECTIONS, 36 PAGES | VOL. 121, NO. 230 JACKSON logue. ship of their duties If your department does not have The association was established and visit communi- a ride-along program, ask for one, PANORAMA in 1961 in Columbia to assist black ties before there are problems, he he said. officers throughout the state dur- said. ing desegregation when it was dif- He said regular positive interac- SEE CONFERENCE, PAGE A9 Pastors call for end to violence Palmetto Health Tuomey, others host HIV/AIDS awareness event C1 SPORTS Sumter wins “O”Zone baseball state tourney opening game 16-4 B1 DEATHS, A9 Mable Nelson Belton O’Neal Wilder Ante’ L. Witherspoon Rosa Rivers Willie Lee Canty WEATHER, A8 COOLER BUT STILL STORMY Not as hot today, but thunderstorms possible in the afternoon; |tonight, humid with stray storms. HIGH 88, LOW 72 INSIDE CONTACT US Business D1 Info: 774-1200 KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM Classifieds D5 Advertising: 774-1237 A Sumter resident raises her hand in prayer during a rally at the old Sumter County Court House on Saturday evening to Comics E1 Classifieds: 774-1234 pray for the community and nation. The event was organized by the Sumter County Concerned clergy and Sumter Ministe- rial Alliance. Opinion A10 Delivery: 774-1258 Outdoors D4 News and Sports: Television E3 774-1226 More than 100 faithful gather at old court house for prayer vigil BY JIM HILLEY rocked the nation with a series of nesota and in Dallas who serve and [email protected] police-involved shootings in Min- protect,” said Rev. James Blassin- VISIT US ONLINE AT the .com nesota and Louisiana and the kill- game of Mount Zion Missionary Led by several local clergy, peo- ing of five police officers by a snip- Baptist Church. ple gathered and prayed for er in Dallas, the ministers led the He asked God for the strength to strength and unity at the Old Sum- group in asking God to help guide keep fighting and to help people ter Courthouse Saturday evening them through times that are diffi- join together in unity. during a prayer vigil organized by cult to understand. Rev. Napoleon Bradford said area ministers. “We pray for those who have lost During a time when violence has loved ones in Baton Rouge, in Min- SEE VIGIL, PAGE A9 Rodeo intended to hook kids on fishing Shooting suspect BY JIM HILLEY Natural Resources. [email protected] “We did a Wounded Warriors turns himself in hunt a couple of months ago that Saturday wasn’t a good day to be we partnered with the DNR” Stir- a hungry catfish. ling said. “We decided we should A man wanted in connection with the Around 40 kids from several do a fishing rodeo.” shooting death of Ante’ Lavern Wither- group homes in Columbia, Turbev- Stirling, thought it would be a spoon is now in police custody. ille and Sumter got a chance to wet good idea to start with an event of Police think Bernie Peoples III, 28, was a hook at the Wateree River Cor- limited size, so the idea of having the shooter in an incident Friday after- rectional Institution pond Satur- children form area group homes noon on Dibert Street that day morning. come out and fish seemed like a led to Witherspoon’s death. The pond was recently deepened good place to start. Peoples, whose last known and a carpenter at the correctional “Some of these kids don’t have a address is listed as 945 facility led a team of inmates who chance to get out much,” he said. Gaines Road, turned himself constructed an ADA accessible “This event gives the kids a chance in without incident after 6 wooden fishing pier to allow the fa- to get out and our correctional offi- p.m. Saturday at Sumter Po- cility to host public events at the cers have a little fun, too,” he said. PEOPLES lice Department headquar- lake. It was the perfect day to have the ters on Hampton Avenue. South Carolina Department of event, as a cloud cover left over JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM Officers were called to the scene about Corrections Director Bryan Stir- from storms the night before kept Capt. Billy Downer from S.C. Department 4 p.m. Friday, where they found Wither- ling said Saturday’s fishing rodeo the heat at bay, at least for a while. of Natural Resources helps a group of spoon, 28, shot to death outside of a came out of a partnership the De- The DNR stocked the lake Thurs- boys from local group homes land a cat- home. partment of Corrections has been day with 640 pounds of catfish, fish Saturday during a fishing rodeo at developing with the Department of Stirling said. Wateree River Correction Institution. SEE SUSPECT, PAGE A9 We Go Where You Go. Bank Local. Sumter: 803.469.0156 Manning: 803.433.4451 bankofclarendon.com ."//*/(t46.5&3t4"/5&&t46..&350/t8:#00 A2 | SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2016 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] LOCAL & STATE BRIEFS App to promote black history in S.C. FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS COLUMBIA (AP) — A cellphone app Hundreds of sites will be searchable by more user-friendly. While proponents Home invader slashes could soon lead drivers to a plantation county or subject, including churches, seek to drive tourism to rural areas, site near Lake City, the birthplace of schools and cemeteries, she said. the app will highlight sites in all 46 teen resident with knife jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie in Cher- The commission annually publishes counties. aw, and Rosenwald schools across the a book of historic sites of African- Legislators gave the Department of Sumter County Sheriff’s Of- state. American significance. Archives and History $100,000 for the fice is reportedly investigating A state commission is developing the Its hundreds of entries include the project, overriding Gov. Nikki Haley's a home invasion Friday in app in hopes of encouraging drivers to site of a 150-acre plantation near Lake veto. which a resident of the home explore African-American historic City owned by Joshua Braveboy, a free Sen. Vincent Sheheen, who pushed was cut with a knife. sites in rural South Carolina. black who fought in the Revolutionary to include the agency's request in the About 1 p.m., a 17-year-old The idea is to "get people off of I-95 War, and what remains of the nearly budget, said Friday that South Caroli- was home alone in his resi- and I-77 ... and into the rural communi- 500 schools statewide for black children na has a "really rich history of African- dence in the 100 block of Olin ties," said Jannie Harriot, vice chair- funded, at least partially, by the Julius American culture" that's under-recog- Goode Drive when he heard a man of the state's African-American Rosenwald Foundation between 1917 nized. noise and thought it was his Heritage Commission . and 1932. "We should promote it and be proud father returning home, accord- The app should be ready in January, The app will add more information of it and tell the story," said Sheheen, ing to according to a news re- just ahead of Black History Month. and make what's now a 90-page book D-Camden. lease from the sheriff’s office. The victim came out of the bathroom and discovered a white male, six feet tall, wear- ing a ski mask, work gloves, Aladdin promotes kids’ summer movies at Opera House blue jeans and work boots in- side the home. The victim grabbed a knife, but during a fight the intruder was able to get the knife away from the victim and used it to cut him several times, the sheriff’s office reported. The suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction. The victim was treated at Palmetto Health Tuomey. There was no word on his con- dition at press time Anyone who has informa- tion on this incident is asked to call Sumter County Sher- iff’s Office at (803) 436-2000 or Crime Stoppers at (803) 436- 2718. Summerton man charged for jail incident An inmate from Summerton has been charged with inciting prisoners to riot after an inci- dent on July 10, when he alleg- edly opened cell doors to allow inmates out of their cells to commit an assault at the Sum- ter-Lee Correctional Institu- tion, 1200 Winkles Read. Daniel Deangelo Jackson, 28, 1041 Jim Ross Road, Summer- ton, SC, was arrested July 15 at facility.