In a statement posted on its official website late on Thursday, the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) closed an investigation into alleged threats by a city official against the state’s largest news organization. Palmetto, The (Charleston, SC) Post and Courier.
According to the statement, the agency “completed its assessment” of comments made on social media by Jerome Heyward – who was elected in 2019 to represent citizens of the fifth district of North Charleston, SC
Heyward was criticized by the newspaper earlier this month for his involvement in a Charleston County issue, which prompted him to respond severely during a live Facebook event.
“We’re just notifying you now, you’re not the only ones who have an AR,” said Heyward during the broadcast on social media, apparently referring to the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. “I’m going to sit there. You are not the only one with an AR, and if we have to go to that level, come on. “
“So don’t just sit there thinking that you are the only one who has an AR and that you are not the only one who has hunting companions,” continued Heyward. “The only thing you hunt is rabbits and deer and I am not going to say what we are going to hunt. And you can put that in your pipe and smoke it. “
The Post and Courier filed a complaint about Heyward’s comments with Charleston Police department – who referred the matter to SLED for review, given the involvement of various jurisdictions in the drama.
“Upon hearing about the video, we immediately contacted the local authorities,” said the newspaper’s editor in a report his agency submitted earlier this month.
That report stated that Heyward “said in an online video that he would use an ‘AR’ against The Post and Courier the day after the news organization published a column on July 4 about its relationship with the Lowcountry governments. “
Police sources we spoke to said the assessment took “liberties” with Heyward’s comments.
(Click to view)
(Via: JeromeHeyward.org)
According to the SLED statement, its review – which was conducted with the SC ninth circuit attorney’s office Scarlett Wilson – “Determined comments, in the context and in the manner in which they were made, are not indicative of a plan or intention to commit physical harm.”
“Nor were they made for the sole purpose and intention of conveying an imminent threatening message,” the statement continued.
As a result, SLED “will take no further action unless additional information / evidence is provided”.
Our thoughts on all of this?
Firstly, we support SLED’s decision not to act in this case. Heyward’s online comments were clearly disgusting – and obviously threatening in nature – but we agree that they have not crossed the threshold of criminal conduct. In addition, Heyward later claimed – perhaps in an insincere way – that he did not intend to harm anyone with his comments.
“I was not referring to a threat to anyone’s life,” said Heyward The Post and Courier earlier this month.
Hmmm…
We found this explanation … implausible. However, we also fail to see how any amount of investigation would be able to prove him wrong (or provide Wilson’s office with sufficient evidence to press charges against him). That is why we believe that SLED is correct in closing the matter, preventing the production of any new evidence.
That said, we don’t blame The Post and Courier an iota for acting out of caution when it comes to ensuring the safety of his reporters. We would have done the same thing.
As for Heyward, he owes the newspaper – and its constituents – an excuse. The criticism comes with the territory for those who occupy elective positions, and for him to lose control in such an erratic and unprofessional way seems to us to be proof of his incapacity for the position.
-FITSNews
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