Richland deputy who threatened to assault wife in series of texts charged, SLED says
A Richland County Sheriff’s Department deputy threatened to assault and kill his wife over text and ignored state agents’ order to stop contacting her, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
SLED agents charged 29-year-old James Christopher Leaisure with stalking Friday, and Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott fired Leaisure that day.
“I hold my deputies to a much higher standard, and anyone who works for me should know that I will hold them accountable for any misdeeds,” Lott said
Agents jailed Leaisure at Lexington County Detention Center where he remained as of Saturday morning awaiting a bond hearing.
Throughout April, Leaisure sent text messages threatening to assault his wife, making her fear for her life and safety, an arrest warrant says. On April 22, he sent texts throughout the day saying he was going to damage her car to make it so she couldn’t drive away. Another text was “interpreted as a threat” to her life. At one point, his wife fled locations known to Leaisure to hide from him, according to the warrant.
When interviewed by agents, Leaisure admitted that he sent the texts, the warrant says. Agents told him not to contact his wife but he continued to contact her, according to agents.
An unidentified person informed the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department about the texts, and the department asked state agents to investigate, Richland deputies said. Agents notified the Richland County Sheriff’s Department that Leaisure was under investigation earlier this week.
Leaisure had worked with the Sheriff’s Department since 2018 and was a corporal, the department said.
Stalking is punishable with 30 days to 15 years in prison depending on the circumstances of the crime.
Leaisure is the fifth police officer this year charged with some form of violence or harassment of a woman and the second to be charged in April.
Last year, The State reported on the disturbing number of S.C. police officers who were charged from 2010 to 2020 with violence against women. Most of those charges were domestic violence. On average, nine police officers a year are accused of violence against women in South Carolina. Survivor advocates said that number was likely low and didn’t given an accurate picture of the amount of violence because victims don’t always report abuse, fearing further harm.
This story was originally published April 30, 2022 at 9:49 AM.