SC police charge two with trying to blow up Ben Tillman statue on State House grounds
South Carolina police arrested two people for putting an explosive at the base of the Ben Tillman statue on the grounds of the state’s capitol, according to a statement from state police.
On Wednesday, the Bureau of Protective Services, which patrols the State House grounds, charged 19-year-old Anna Elizabeth Jordan and 36-year-old James McTeer, both of Columbia, with third degree arson and using a destructive device.
“We are thankful no one was injured in the act of this crime,” South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said, adding he appreciated the teamwork between SLED and the South Carolina Department of Public Safety in making the arrests.
Police said that the two planted an “incendiary device” at the foot of the statue and ignited it. But the device didn’t explode and caused no permanent damage to the monument.
Bureau officers found the device Saturday and called in SLED agents to help investigate.
SLED agents discovered that the substance in the bomb was thermite, “a highly flammable substance that can cause serious injury,” according to the police statement.
“Fortunately, this incident occurred overnight when there were no visitors to State House grounds at that time ... The material used could have posed a serious danger to our officers,” Bureau Chief Matthew Calhoun said. “The State House grounds must be a place where everyone can feel safe to peaceably assemble and exercise their First Amendment rights, however, there is no place for violence or vandalism. We appreciate the prompt assistance of SLED leading to these arrests.”
Police jailed Jordan and McTeer at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, where they are awaiting bond hearings.
If convicted on both charges Jordan and McTeer could be sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Ben Tillman was S.C. governor in the 1890s. Under his governorship, the South Carolina constitution was rewritten. He publicly advocated lynching Black people and, as a U.S. senator, became one of America’s most foremost white supremacists. He died in 1918 while serving as a Senator.
His statue has been at the center of debates about removing monuments to white supremacists and the Confederacy.
Clemson University’s board of trustees recently voted to ask lawmakers to allow the school to change the name of Tillman Hall on its campus.
