South Carolina Highway Patrol Sergeant Charged With Domestic Violence

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A recently promoted trooper of the South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) remains suspended without pay pending the outcome of an investigation by the S.C Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

On Sunday, March 17, SCHP sergeant James Franklin Sweatman II was arrested by deputies of the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) and thereafter charged with second-degree domestic violence — a violation of S.C. Code of Laws § 16-25-20.

Sweatman was subsequently booked into the Colleton County detention center and eventually released after posting a $5,000 surety bond imposed by magistrate Sophia Henderson, according to publicly accessible court filings.

(Click to View)

As a condition of his release, Sweatman is barred from any and all contact with his victim — or victims — and remains prohibited from returning to the incident location without a “law enforcement escort.”

A former reservist of the Berkley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Sweatman has served as an SCHP trooper since 2003. Ahead of his suspension, the 43-year-old was assigned to Troop 6, Post A which services Berkley and Charleston counties under captain Dennis Boniecki.

“I can confirm that SLED was requested on March 16, 2024, by the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office to investigate allegations of domestic violence involving James Sweatman,” said the agency’s director of public information, Renée Wunderlich. “SLED’s investigation is active and ongoing.”

While details regarding Sweatman’s arrest remain unclear, the trooper’s S.C. Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA) file indicates that he will remain actively employed pending the outcome of SLED’s ongoing investigation.

If you know of similar cases that deserve investigative scrutiny, please reach out to this media outlet. We’re not only committed to exposing nefarious activity within government — but steadfast in holding our law enforcement as accountable as they hold the public.

This story may be updated.

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SWEATMAN’S SCCJA FILE

(SCCJA)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the first of his family to graduate college which was accomplished with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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