In the latest edition of “What The Hell Is Wrong With People?” – a depressing game that’s played all too often on a daily basis in our communities – deputies of the Berkeley County, South Carolina sheriff’s office arrested a Cane Bay, S.C. woman after she violently attacked a teenager last week.
Every bit as troubling? The woman who committed the assault received praise from many in the community for purportedly teaching the teen “a lesson.”
Samantha Lynn Bigelow, 37, was arrested and charged with second degree assault in connection with an incident involving a juvenile outside of Cane Bay High School near Summerville, S.C. this past Friday (September 15, 2023).
Deputies responded to the school shortly after 8:00 a.m. EDT on Friday “in reference to an assault in progress.”
“Preliminary investigations revealed Bigelow and the victim were involved in a verbal altercation,” a release from the sheriff’s office noted. “Bigelow then escalated the altercation by assaulting the victim multiple times.”
The assault was captured on at least one cell phone video provided to multiple media outlets …
(Click to View)
Initial reports indicate the dispute preceding the assault involved litter on the grounds of the high school.
Bigelow was booked into the Hill-Finklea detention center and was released on bond shortly thereafter. No information on the amount or conditions of her bond was immediately available, nor has the date of her first court appearance been posted to the Berkeley County public index.
As with anyone accused of committing any crime, Bigelow is considered innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until such time as she may wish to enter some form of allocution in connection with a plea agreement with prosecutors related to the charge filed against her.
Certainly, in this case the video evidence against her is damning …
According to the S.C. Code of Laws § 16-3-600, second degree assault occurs when one person “unlawfully injures another person, or offers or attempts to injure another person with the present ability to do so” and inflicts “moderate bodily injury to another person” or if “moderate bodily injury to another person could have resulted.”
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The crime is a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, it is punishable by fines up to $2,500 and/ or prison sentences of up to three years.
Surprisingly (or … not surprisingly?) several parents in the community responded to the incident by expressing their public support for Bigelow.
“Some kids are so disrespectful and hateful,” Lowcountry resident Shelly Bennette wrote on Facebook. “You forget they (are) underage … sometimes they need a reminder. Looks like she was in that women’s face … she needs to learn boundaries and respect.”
Not everyone was impressed with Bigelow’s attempt to administer some vigilante juvenile justice, though.
“Hope she is prepared to move out of Cane Bay,” neighbor Trina Young wrote, calling Bigelow’s conduct “absolutely disgusting.”
“She is lucky she got a nice momma to intervene,” Young continued. “My kid or not, she would have met her match with me. You don’t touch other people’s children at ALL.”
(Click to View)
“Why would anyone ever put their hands on a child and throw them to the ground?” retiree Carole Adams agreed. “This woman is so much bigger than this girl. This could have ended with the girl being seriously injured!”
Indeed …
With the notable exceptions of self-defense and protecting others from harm, there is never a good excuse for attacking a child. Or attacking anyone, for that matter. And in such situations, the force applied in pursuit of those objectives must be limited to neutralizing the threat.
Every bit as disappointing as Bigelow’s conduct, though, was the undercurrent of support for it amongst those in her community. You know, the “FAFO,” “teach her a lesson” crowd. Such hot-blooded voices are certainly correct in stating that Bigelow taught this teenager “a lesson.” Unfortunately, that lesson involved the abject surrender of all impulse control.
Hopefully, Bigelow will encounter a South Carolina judge eager to teach her a lesson … although given the Palmetto State’s perpetual accommodation of violent criminality throughout its “justice” system, no one should hold their breath.
In a just world, this attack would be greeted by universal public condemnation and punished with the stiffest sentence allowed under the law. Sadly, in South Carolina, Bigelow seems likely to avoid either outcome.
Why is that so dangerous? Because it incentives more people to act the way Bigelow did …
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.
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8 comments
Looks like an entitled little missy who was beginning a tirade of cursing at this woman. Since I would bet money little missy’s parents don’t enforce any rules on her, I’m sure school officials must constantly put up with her nonsense.
Damn, this kid showed she is an animal, no common sense and her parents need belt to their asses for failure to teach her manners.
If that fat hog had gotten in my face, I would have cursed at her, too. Do we know the girl she was molesting even had anything to do with the litter issue? I hope she gets a maximum fine or jail time for this.
If Ms. Bigelow gets a lawyer legislator for counsel and appears before the right judge this situation will be successfully resolved.
Fat old boar hog.
Pants?
This week on “Tales from the trailer park…”
Ya can’t hide class … the aptly named Ms BIG-allw