Weapons Charges Dropped Against Two Men Attending High School Football Game

An Anderson County judge dropped weapons possession charges Friday against two men who were arrested at a Pendleton High School football game earlier this year.

By: MIKE ELLIS, ANDERSON INDEPENDENT-MAIL | News Channel 7
Published: October 24, 2009

ANDERSON COUNTY — An Anderson County judge dropped weapons possession charges Friday against two men who were arrested at a Pendleton High School football game earlier this year.

Anderson County Magistrate Dan Sharp ruled that the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office did not have probable cause to hold Demetrius Oliver, 18, and Kendrick McDowell, 20, in custody on the charges.

The two men have been in the Anderson County Detention Center since their arrest Aug. 29. They were released Friday evening.

Sharp upheld the weapons possession charges against Jarvis Germaine Jones, one of two other men arrested as a result of the incident.

The preliminary hearing for the fourth man arrested, Demetrius Traynum, is pending.

Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Pearson told the judge that the four men were arrested when Traynum, who was on a no-trespass notice from Pendleton High, was spotted trying to enter the football game.

Pearson said Traynum began loudly swearing near a crowd and was put in handcuffs after being charged with disorderly conduct. Pearson said Traynum was found to have a loaded 9-mm clip in his possession, but no gun.

Officers also questioned Oliver, McDowell and Jones, who were with Traynum.

Pearson said the men were charged with weapons possession when officers found a 9-mm pistol in a rear passenger seat pocket of the vehicle the men were in at the game. A second gun was found inside a backpack in the trunk of the car.

Pearson said Jones, who represented himself in court, had signed a written statement saying he owned and had been driving the vehicle and that Oliver, McDowell, and Jones were passengers in the back seat.

Pearson said a fifth person in the car, who was in the front passenger seat, was released and not charged.

Oliver’s attorney, Jennifer Johnson, said that because officers did not witness who was seated in the back, there was no reason for officers to believe Oliver knew about or was ever in possession of the gun found in the backseat.

Charles Griffin, McDowell’s attorney, made the same argument in defense of his client.

Sharp upheld the weapons charges against Jones, he said, because the vehicle belonged to him, and a second gun was found in the trunk.

Jones and Traynum are in custody at the Anderson County Detention Center.