A domestic dispute between a 50-year-old Manning man and his 17-year-old son led to more than just the assault and battery charges police expected.
The Manning Police Department is currently submitting warrants against James E. King of 427 LeGrand St. for charges of manufacturing methamphetamine; possession of methamphetamine; exposing a child to methamphetamine; manufacturing methamphetamine within a half-mile of a park; disposal of waste from the production of methamphetamine; and assault and battery.
Police responded to King’s home the first time late Tuesday night, after King and his son reportedly got into an argument.
“No action was taken then,” said Manning Police Chief Blair Shaffer. “We got another call a little after 4 a.m. today, however.”
Shaffer said officers responding to the home for the second time found a push lawn mower on fire outside the home’s carport, and noticed visible scratches on both of the son’s arms.
“(The son) was talking about how he and his dad got into a fight, and the son started telling officers that his dad makes methamphetamine,” Shaffer said.
Not only did the boy tell police his father makes methamphetamine, but he showed officers video of his father smoking the drug.
“The son was using his dad’s phone to video him smoking meth,” Shaffer said.
King later admitted at the Clarendon County Detention Center to the charges.
“He told us about his meth operation today,” Shaffer said. “It’s a relatively small operation, not any kind of operation for distribution. Basically everything he made he smoked.”
A search of the suspect’s home with the assistance of the State Law Enforcement Division turned up “meth in the trashcan under the carport,” Shaffer said.
“We also found a black duffel bag that had some other utensils that he used to make the meth,” he said. “We don’t know how much meth we recovered yet, as that all went with SLED, but it was a fairly small amount.”
Shaffer said the boy’s mother has been notified of the incident.
“I’m not sure if he will go live with her, but he could stay in the home if he wanted; we had a clean-up team there today,” Shaffer said. “However, I’m concerned about bond, when and if it happens, because we can’t keep (King) out of the home that he owns. I’m concerned any time we have someone making meth in a neighborhood near children, much less while his own child is in the house.”
Shaffer said he’s hopeful an extensive criminal record will help a magistrate deny bond. He expects a bond hearing to take place Thursday. A records check through SLED reveals prior convictions for second-degree assault and battery in Lexington, for which King was sentenced to three years’ probation. He has a pending manufacturing of a controlled substance charge with the Springdale Police Department.
