Sumter woman charged with child endangerment, assault and battery after domestic disturbance

Sumter deputies responded to a domestic disturbance that turned violent and ended with one in custody and charged with child endangerment.

At around 1:07 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17, deputies were dispatched to an address on U.S. 378 and S.C. 261 for a civil disturbance. While en route, a deputy approached an intersection and witnessed a vehicle make a quick right turn toward a guardrail and a victim run from the front of the vehicle, according to Mark Bordeaux, public information officer for Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.

After noticing the deputies, a victim ran to them and asked for help. According to Bordeaux, the victim said Imani Kierra Stephens, 23, of Wedgefield, the driver of the vehicle, was trying to hit them.

Stephens then drove to the front of the deputy’s car and reportedly exited her vehicle. She was told by the deputy to get back inside. Returning to her vehicle, she attempted to turn around and struck the deputy’s patrol vehicle before fleeing, Bordeaux said. Another deputy witnessed the suspect fleeing and followed to perform a traffic stop.

Stephens reportedly ignored the blue lights and sirens and drove to a nearby home. She then reportedly took a child from a vehicle and ran to another residence. Bordeaux was unable to release the age of the child but said “the child was not an adolescent and was very young.”

When the pursuing deputy approached her, Stephens entered the residence, locking the door behind her. When additional deputies arrived and located Stephens, she gave the child to a resident and resisted arrest before being taken into custody, Bordeaux said.

Stephens is charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, child endangerment, failure to stop for a blue light, resisting arrest, uninsured motorist and operating an unregistered vehicle, Bordeaux said. She was taken to Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center, where she is being held on a $50,000 bond and is awaiting trial.

Sheriff Anthony Dennis  commended deputies for their “quick response that prevented both the victim and the child from being hurt or killed.”

“We are greatly relieved that neither the child or the victim was injured and the suspect has been arrested,” Dennis said. “Such reckless disregard for life — especially when a little one is present — is unthinkable.”