Sumter County Councilman Chris Sumpter arrested for alleged domestic violence in front of his child

Sumpter's father also arrested in connection with the same incident; woman involved had been arrested a week prior

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Sumter County Council's youngest member and his father were arrested Thursday during an investigation into a domestic incident involving the mother of his child following accusations of wrongdoing from both parties.

Christopher F. Sumpter II, 26, of Spencer Road in Rembert, is charged with second-degree domestic violence for allegedly threatening to kill a woman with a firearm while in the presence of a minor at Sumpter's home on Aug. 25, according to the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.

Sumpter II, the county councilman representing District 1, and the victim are the parents of the child, according to information from the sheriff's office.

In the incident report from Aug. 25, the woman told authorities Sumpter II said, "I'm gonna get my gun and kill you, b****" while holding their child. The woman said she never saw the firearm but felt threatened by the statement.

She told deputies the incident started when she went to pick up their son after a weekend visit and Sumpter II refused to give her the child.

A warrant states Sumpter II admitted to possessing a firearm, with a concealed weapons permit, and to directing the aforementioned statement to the woman.

In two separate incident reports from Aug. 27, Sumpter II reported the woman, identified as Jessica Marian Wells, to authorities for allegedly violating a restraining order and trespassing on three different tracts of his property.

Wells was arrested on Sept. 12 for allegedly causing $700 in damage to crops on Sumpter II's property on Aug. 24, according to a release from the sheriff's office.

A warrant states Wells "willfully and deliberately" spun her vehicle in Sumpter II's hayfield and witnesses were present at the time of the reported incident.

And a second incident report states Sumpter II witnessed Wells on his property and suspected she had cut two tires on his John Deere tractor, causing about $250 worth of damage.

Sumpter II's father, 50-year-old Christopher Sumpter, of Raccoon Road in Rembert, was also arrested on Thursday and charged with malicious injury to property for allegedly causing $580 worth of damage to Wells' vehicle after the verbal threat was reportedly made on Aug. 25.

According to the Aug. 25 incident report, Wells told deputies Sumpter II's father banged on the window of her car and scratched the driver's side door with an unknown object.

Sumpter II and Sumpter were both transported to Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center on Thursday and have since been released.

A surety bond for Sumpter II was set at $2,000, and a personal recognizance bond for Sumpter was set at $1,000.

Sumpter II was elected to council on Nov. 8, 2016.