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A South Carolina judge handed down an appropriately stiff sentence this week against a Lowcountry man convicted of assault and fleeing from police – the latest sign that the Palmetto State’s judicial branch is starting to crack down on violent criminals who have previously evaded accountability.
S.C. circuit court judge Heath Taylor sentenced 26-year-old Willis Terrel Ivey of Huger, S.C. to eighteen years in prison after a Charleston County jury convicted him of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and failure to stop for blue lights in connection with his June 2018 apprehension by authorities.
“We applaud judge Taylor’s stiff sentence which recognized the gravity of this offense and this defendant’s criminal history,” S.C. ninth circuit solicitor Scarlett Wilson said in a statement announcing the conviction and sentencing.
At approximately 8:00 p.m. EDT on the evening of June 14, 2018, the U.S. Marshals‘ fugitive task force – along with the North Charleston Police Department (NCPD), Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) and Charleston Police Department (CPD) – received information that Ivey, who was wanted for murder, had been located near Rivers Avenue in North Charleston.
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Law enforcement vehicles converged on his location and attempted to box him in, but Ivey “was able to escape,” according to the solicitor’s office. As he raced into oncoming traffic at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, Ivey eventually attempted to cut back toward Interstate 526.
“As Ivey sped through (an) intersection towards I-526, he collided with a marked NCPD K9 Tahoe, striking the unit in the driver’s side door, causing it to flip multiple times while careening down the road,” the release noted. “Ivey’s vehicle was disabled as a result of the violent crash, and he fled on foot. Law enforcement pursued him and was able to detain him after a brief struggle.”
Thankfully, the driver of the K9 unit – Wilson Bishop, now a S.C. Highway Patrol (SCHP) trooper – and his partner, K9 Nero, survived the collision.
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Ivey’s case was prosecuted by managing assistant solicitor Daniel W. Cooper and assistant solicitor Jewell Gearding.
“We appreciate the jury’s quick verdict and the judge’s strong sentence, as it sends a clear message: reckless and dangerous conduct like Ivey’s – where law enforcement and civilians alike were put in harm’s way – will not be tolerated,” Cooper said. “Luckily, trooper Bishop and K9 Nero were ultimately okay after the crash, but the end result could have been much more tragic.”
Indeed…
Taylor’s sentence does send a message that such reckless conduct will not be tolerated. But there’s another, more important message being sent: one involving the system which held Ivey accountable. By imposing a stiff sentence in this case, Taylor is making it abundantly clear the rash of unconscionable judicial leniency shown to violent offenders in the Palmetto Lowcountry by former S.C. circuit court judge Bentley Price is coming to an end.
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THE RELEASE…
(S.C. Ninth Circuit)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children.
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