The Bennettsville Police Department filed the following reports:
March 11
Police were running stationary radar on Hamlet Highway and Green Street at 9:50 a.m. when a red Hyundai Sonata was traveling at 61 mph in a 35 mph zone. A traffic stop was conducted. While speaking with the driver, Michael Phalando Bennett, 22, of Laurinburg, police noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Bennett said he had marijuana in the rear of the vehicle. The owner of the vehicle was in the passenger seat. While searching the vehicle, a tan book bag was located on the rear driver’s side of the vehicle with a clear plastic bag containing a green leafy substance. Police discovered that Bennett’s North Carolina driver’s license was suspended. He was charged with simple possession of marijuana and no South Carolina driver’s license. Bennett was issued a citation for the speeding violation. Both Bennett and the passenger were released.
March 17
At 12:30 p.m., police met a complainant at the Bennettsville Police Department. The complainant said she parked her vehicle at McDonald’s at 8:45 a.m. before clocking in for work. When she returned to her vehicle at 11:45 a.m., she discovered damage to the rear passenger quarter panels. Police planned a follow-up with the McDonald’s general manager to look at surveillance footage.
March 20
Police responded to Hudson Street at 1:02 a.m. about a disturbance. At the scene, police found groceries and belongings in the street. The complainant said she was having issues with her son, William Brown, 27, of Bennettsville, and he had put the groceries and belongings in the road. The complainant noted the items belonged to a female that Brown didn’t want at the residence. She added her son was cursing and threatening her once he was impaired due to drugs. Police found Brown to be intoxicated and disorderly. He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
March 21
Police were dispatched to Oakwood Street Apartments at 5:20 p.m. The complainant said three to five unknown subjects jumped on her juvenile son. The victim said someone approached him in the hallway and punched him with a closed fist on the right side of the face. The juvenile fell to the ground and felt multiple hands hitting his face and head. The case was given to detectives.
March 22
Police were dispatched to State Street at 10:53 a.m. about a civil matter. The complainant said the children’s father attempted to Cashapp her some money but sent it to her mother’s Cashapp. The mother refused to withdraw or transfer the money to the complainant even though it was supposedly meant for her. The complainant was advised of the civil manner of the incident and the limited scope of law enforcement’s enforcement in the matter. She was advised of procedures involving the magistrate’s office.
Police were dispatched to Ratcliff Street at 1:08 p.m. about the complainant regarding stolen electricity. The complainant said her daughter and her boyfriend lived in a shed behind her house. The complainant was in the process of evicting them, but they had not been served. The complainant said both continued to plug an extension cord into her outside power receptacle to have power in the shed. The complainant said they did not have permission and had asked them to stop. Police said it was a civil matter since both were still considered residents at the location. After the eviction notice is issued and the subjects vacate the property, if they return, then the charge for the theft of electricity can be enacted. Police explained to the subjects that the complainant did not want them to use the extension cord. As the police left the scene, the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office arrived to serve the eviction notice.