South Carolina Assessor Arrested for Assault

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by WILL FOLKS

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A tax assessor in rural South Carolina has been arrested and charged with assault after allegedly striking a citizen who came to his office with questions about her tax bill.

Benjamin “Gerry” Coleman, 75, of Saluda, S.C. was arrested last Tuesday (December 2, 2025) and charged with third degree assault and battery after allegedly striking 51-year-old Christie Culbreath in the face during a heated exchange over her property taxes.

Coleman is the tax assessor for Edgefield County, a rural county located along the Georgia-South Carolina border that’s home to an estimated 29,500 people. Coleman’s office has been managing a reassessment program over the last few months – one scheduled to conclude on December 31, 2025.

“We appreciate your cooperation and want to make this process as smooth as possible,” a message from Coleman’s office noted in describing the reassessments.

Culbreath’s experience with the assessor was anything but smooth, however.

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According to police reports obtained by reporter Greg Rickabaugh of The Augusta Press, Culbreath went to Coleman’s office at around 12:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 26, 2025. During a conversation about her tax bill, Coleman allegedly became “agitated” and struck her in the face.

Culbreath provided the Edgefield Police Department (EPD) with a cellphone video of the encounter, per the report, which depicted the conversation, the escalation of tensions and the alleged strike.

That video was provided to FITSNews on Thursday afternoon…

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Culbreath said she sustained injuries during the incident – notably a black eye – which prompted her to seek medical treatment.

 “The video shows Coleman approach her and strike her,” a news release from the office of Culbreath’s attorney, Tyler Bailey, noted. “She suffered a black eye and other injuries in the incident.”

This week, Bailey’s office published a photo of the black eye Culbreath claims to have sustained at Coleman’s hands.

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“Police attempted to locate Coleman at the office shortly after the report was filed, but staff told officers he had already left for home in his truck,” Rickabaugh noted in his coverage. “Investigators later secured a warrant for his arrest.”

Coleman was booked at the Edgefield County detention center in the aftermath of the alleged assault. He was given a personal recognizance bond in the amount of $1,087.50. His initial court hearing on this charge has been scheduled for January 22, 2026.

According to a news release provided to our media outlet, Bailey indicated he would be “taking legal action on her behalf.” Bailey has scheduled a press conference to announce his plans at 10:00 a.m. EST tomorrow (December 12, 2025) outside of the Charles E. Simon Jr. federal courthouse in Aiken, S.C.

Count on FITSNews to provide our audience with any pertinent updates related to Coleman’s case – as well as any updates on his status as the top tax official for Edgefield County.

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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 eight children.

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