Vandals paint a swastika on Philip Simmons school bus, cause other damage

The following incidents were taken from the City of Charleston Police Department’s crime reports within Patrol Team 5 which covers Daniel Island, Clements Ferry Road, and parts of Cainhoy,  July 16-31, 2025. 

 

TRAFFIC ARREST

On July 16, an officer patrolling Clements Ferry Road and Cainhoy Road stopped a vehicle that was obstructing a pedestrian crosswalk. 

 

While speaking to the driver, the police officer observed a clear bottle containing a brown liquid, half full, and labeled as spiced rum. The driver admitted that he also had THC wax in the vehicle. A check revealed that the suspect’s driver’s license was suspended for Driving Under the Influence. 

 

He was issued a citation for Driving Under Suspension, and a family member took possession of the vehicle.

 

ABANDONED VESSEL

Harbor Patrol placed a derelict tag on a white, double-masted sailboat located in the marshes of the Cooper River on Daniel Island. 

 

The vessel is known by the Charleston Police Department as a problem vessel due to its previous history of failing to comply with permit ordinances and for previously dragging an anchor in the Cooper River. The sailboat is stranded aground in the marsh and was observed sitting on its keel on July 20. 

 

The officer is attempting to locate the owner, who was traced to an address in Asheville, North Carolina.

 

ASSAULT

On July 25, a fight broke out during a concert at Credit One Stadium on Seven Farms Drive. An off-duty officer who was working at the event was advised by staff that a physical disturbance was occurring near the sound booth on the back floor area. 

 

The victim was hit multiple times on the face with a closed fist after a verbal confrontation occurred, which was corroborated by witnesses. 

 

Police arrested the suspect and charged him with assault and battery in the third degree.

 

DRUG/NARCOTICS VIOLATION

An officer was patrolling Clements Ferry Road on July 26 when he observed a vehicle with expired decals pull into a gas station. A query confirmed that the vehicle’s registration and decal expired in June 2024, and the registered owner has a suspended driver’s license. 

 

When approaching the vehicle, the officer noted the odor of marijuana and questioned the driver. An inspection of the vehicle revealed two bags of a green, leafy substance in the center console, weighing 17 grams, and a digital scale concealed inside the foam of the driver’s seat. 

 

Two citations were issued, and the vehicle was towed from the site.

 

VANDALISM/BURGLARY 

On July 29, Team 5 responded to Philip Simmons High School on River Village Drive in reference to a burglary and vandalism that occurred over the weekend. 

 

An officer met with an assistant principal, who stated that three male suspects entered the property on July 26 and broke into the maintenance building located by the athletic fields. 

 

Inside, the suspects retrieved cans of orange spray paint and vandalized the building’s floor with illegible writing. A basketball rebounder, sidewalk, and parked school buses were also sprayed. The suspects entered the buses and painted swastika symbols on one of the seats. 

 

Cameras positioned inside of the school buses were painted over. Surveillance footage captured their last movements around 3 a.m. when they exited the property and walked toward a nearby subdivision. Investigators plan to follow up with a review of the camera footage.