A Democrat member of the South Carolina House of Representatives has been arrested and charged after allegedly brandishing a handgun at a polling place during his partys primary election.
The case centers on State Rep. Michael Rivers, D-St. Helena Island, who is accused of retrieving a handgun from the glove compartment of his vehicle and pointing it at a relative of his political opponent at a Democrat polling location on June 9, according to Gateway Pundit. Authorities say the incident occurred at the Green Pond Community Center in Colleton County, where Rivers was reportedly involved in a confrontation tied directly to his re-election campaign.
Rivers, who ultimately lost his primary race to Shannon DeLocach, now faces a felony charge of pointing and presenting a firearm, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The allegation underscores growing concerns about political tensions and the conduct of elected officials, particularly within a Democrat Party that routinely calls for stricter gun control while facing its own internal problems with firearms and public safety.
The Post and Courier reported that Rivers was formally charged after the June incident in which he allegedly brought out the weapon at a Democratic primary polling place. The lawmaker was booked into the Colleton County Detention Center on October 9 before being released on a $15,000 bond, according to court and jail records.
Rivers has denied any wrongdoing and insists the accusation is politically motivated. He maintains that the complaint stems from an altercation at a Colleton County polling location during the June 9 primary and was lodged by a political opponent seeking to damage his reputation.
His attorney, Seth Rose, issued a statement defending the Democrat lawmakers character and urging the public to reserve judgment. Representative Rivers is asserting his innocence to this accusation levied against him by a political opponent. Michael has served admirably in the State Legislature and he is a retired member United States military. He has been an upstanding citizen for nearly seven decades. We ask for the public to withhold judgment until the facts come to light and this matter is resolved in a Court of law, Rose said in a statement to WIS.
According to a State Law Enforcement Division affidavit attached to the arrest warrant, Rivers and another individual, whose name is redacted, had a brief verbal altercation over the campaign for Rivers House District 121 seat. While the incident report from the Colleton County Sheriffs Office offered few details at the time, the case now moves into the courts, where evidence will determine whether this was a politically charged accusation or a serious breach of public trust by an elected Democrat official.
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