Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

Atlantic Beach's suspended mayor looks on at meeting

ATLANTIC BEACH | -- Retha Pierce, Atlantic Beach's suspended mayor, sat at the front of the audience Monday for part of a Town Council meeting that was pretty quiet - no new business was discussed.

Town Manager William Booker did inform the council that the town is making progress toward completing its books to be audited.

The meeting was the first for the council since Gov. Mark Sanford suspended Pierce after she was indicted by an Horry County grand jury on a charge related to an April hit-and-run incident.

Pierce arrived toward the end of the meeting, and her appearance drew applause from some audience members.

She made no comments during the meeting but stated afterward that she "will go on with business as usual, which is always trying to be helpful to the citizens and the community."

Pierce is suspended until she is formally acquitted or convicted, Sanford said in an executive order issued Friday.

Monday's council meeting followed an executive session in which council members gave the status of existing lawsuits against the town, including one filed by property owner Amy Breunig.

Breunig filed a complaint in October against the town and several current and former town officials, claiming they do not want to improve the community but preserve it as a drug haven, resent her because of her race - which is white - and want to destroy a church in the town and those who support it.

Prior to Monday's meeting, Breunig, who owns several rental businesses in Atlantic Beach, said the arrest Saturday of one of her hotel workers was retaliation for her lawsuit.

The worker, Stephen Sumpter, was arrested Saturday on a disorderly conduct charge.

According to a police report, officers responded to the Atlantic Inn around 1:50 a.m. Saturday on a report that a woman had been locked out of her residence.

Officers spoke to Sumpter's live-in girlfriend who stated she was having an argument with her boyfriend and was locked out of the residence, the report stated.

The woman had a place to go but did not have any clothes or items to spend the night. Officers agreed to talk to Sumpter and let her get a few things from her place so she could go for the night, the report stated.

Officers knocked on the window of Sumpter's room because the interior door could not be reached due to a lock outside the door, the report stated.

Sumpter immediately started cursing, according to the report. Sumpter agreed to talk after the officer identified himself.

The report stated that he came out cussing and walking in an aggressive manner toward the officers and the girlfriend after officers said he was heard in the house cursing and slamming doors.

Sumpter "was cussing very loudly, enough to disturb neighbors, and officers were uncomfortable of having him out in a very irate and loud and boisterous manner," the report stated.

He was arrested and taken to the Horry County Detention Center.

Breunig, who was not at the hotel at the time, said that Sumpter was in the bed sleeping, and he did nothing wrong. She said the town and officials are retaliating against those affiliated with her.

"None of this is true," Booker said. "I have no issues with Amy. I have no reason to retaliate against Amy."