SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY
On Mar. 11, an officer with the Manning Police Department responded to a call at the 400th block of Drayton Street regarding suspicious activity. The officer made contact with the complainant about an Apple AirTag that her niece found in her bookbag. The complainant said that her niece found the AirTag while trying to pull put a book for her homework at the 10th block of Branch Street. The complainant said that another family member identified the Apple AirTag and advised her to call the authorities. The complainant stated that she believes it came from her niece’s school, Manning Primary. The officer took possession of the AirTag to be deposited in the evidence drop for safekeeping.
FRAUD/CONFIDENCE GAME/BREACH OF TRUST
On Mar. 12, a resident entered the Manning Police Department to file an unemployment fraud report. The complainant stated she was placed on unemployment since January 2024 for a monthly amount of $174. She stated the card was sent to her residence but never made it. The complainant looked online and noticed her amount was showing a $0.26 balance. She was advised the card was activated online with a different address on file from Tennessee. The complainant stated she does not know anyone from Tennessee, and she was not provided with the fraudulent address from unemployment. The officer explained the report process.
BURGLARY/BREAKING & ENTERING
On Mar. 11, officers from the Manning Police Department responded to a burglary in process at the 10th block of N. Brooks Street. Officers secured the scene and cleared the building. An officer spoke with the complainant who advised that she had video footage of the incident from her Ring doorbell camera. The officer viewed the video, which showed a suspect taking a large piece of concrete and throwing it through the glass front door of the business. The suspect then fled the scene, heading toward Brooks Street. The complainant had spoken to the suspect through the doorbell and as such, the officers were able to get a clothing description from the footage. The footage showed the suspect was a black male wearing a grey hoodie, black pants, and what appeared to be a black glove on his right hand. Two officers searched the area without success. A lieutenant responded to the scene for processing and was able to identify the suspect as Willie Witherspoon from the video footage and previous incidents. On March 12th, at 2:26 p.m., officers contacted Willie Witherspoon at the 100 th block of Church Street in reference to him having an active warrant for Burglary 2nd Degree for the Manning Police Department. An officer observed the male come out of the front door onto the porch and retreat back into residence. Officers formed a perimeter around the residence with duty weapons drawn and attempted to call Witherspoon out of the residence. Witherspoon ignored multiple callouts, but eventually communicated with one officer, stating, “What did I do?” He then walked into view of the officers. Two officers advanced to Witherspoon and holstered their service weapons once observing that Witherspoon was not armed. Witherspoon was placed under arrest, in handcuffs, to the rear and double locked them. Witherspoon was searched and a used glass pipe, still warm to the touch, was in Witherspoon’s front right pants pocket along with a grey disposable lighter. Witherspoon was transported from his residence to the Manning Police Department and later transported to the Clarendon County Detention Center. Officers located and collected a black hoodie inside of Witherspoon’s residence that matched the hoodie worn by the suspect in video surveillance of the initial incident. The glass pipe was placed into evidence to be destroyed and the hoodie was placed into evidence for court purposes.
