Confrontation over political signage in Richland County sheriff’s race heats up

A confrontation over political signage in the Richland County sheriff’s race has broken out again.

Pastor Michael Baker at Greater St. Luke Baptist Church on Farrow Road had great hopes for Saturday’s warrant forgiveness event he called “Make Mamma Proud.”

A week ahead of time, the pastor met with community leaders to discuss the event and made clear to all who attended that “Make Mamma Proud” was not a political event. Although any and all were invited to attend, he made clear that there were to be no political signs posted or political materials handed out, he told The State.

“People coming in to turn themselves in for outstanding warrants would be on edge,” Baker reasoned. This would not be the time for politics.

Baker said neither Richland County sheriff candidate James Flowers nor anyone from Flowers’ campaign attended the meeting last week about Saturday’s event.

At 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning, a church trustee called Baker to say some political signs had been placed in front of the Community Development Center.

“I told him to remove all the signs,” Baker said.

Flowers readily admitted on his Facebook page that his campaign signs were placed in front of the community development center.

But he also posted on his Facebook page that as he was driving by the church Saturday morning, he saw a deputy kick one of his signs.

“I caught a Richland County Sheriff’s Captain red handed kicking my side down to the ground. He was on the way to do the other one until he turned around and realized that I was watching. Congratulations Captain Dave McRoberts for proving what I have long suspected,” Flowers wrote.

Last weekend, some large signs belonging to Flowers, a former State Law Enforcement Division agent who is running in the Democratic primary against incumbent Sheriff Leon Lott, were damaged. Flowers said at the time in a news release, “Signs have also been written on with vulgar, racist-themed writing,” though details were not provided.

Pastor Baker said he doesn’t know anything about campaign signs being vandalized at the church. He told The State that he had 15 people at the church Saturday morning, and no one saw anything like that.

“No one kicked no signs,” he said.

On the bright side, Baker said, dozens of people turned up to “make their mamma proud.”

By 4 p.m., 56 people had turned themselves in. Of those, more than 20 had no current warrants out on them. Sixteen warrants were dismissed, some fines were paid, others were reduced and a few cases were referred to family court.

“It was a day with lots of joy,” Baker said.

This story was originally published May 7, 2016 at 6:58 PM.