Police officer suspended after assault call involving wife

SUMTER, SC (WIS) - Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark suspended an officer Wednesday morning, after the officer's estranged wife ended up in the emergency room with a swollen face.

Police responded to 370 Palmetto Drive around 10:47 p.m. Tuesday about a domestic violence call involving officer Gabriel Blackwell and his estranged wife, Marie Blackwell. Mrs. Blackwell is a former Sumter officer, who now works at the Columbia Police Department.

Marie Blackwell told investigators that Blackwell "came over to the residence to pick up a check," after the pair spent several minutes "talking on the front porch," Mrs. Blackwell said, "that Gabriel punched her with a closed fist on the left side of her face, resulting in the left side of her face being swollen, and a swollen lip," according to the incident report.

Marie Blackwell told investigators she went inside her home and Gabriel Blackwell got into his vehicle and left.

Medics took Marie Blackwell to an emergency room for treatment. The extent of Mrs. Blackwell's injuries were not made available Wednesday. The incident reports shows that officers did see "visible injuries" to Mrs. Blackwell's face.

A woman, who lives next door to the Blackwells, told WIS that Marie Blackwell was bleeding from her mouth after the punch. The women spoke for several minutes while they waited for law enforcement to arrive, according to the witness.

Sumter Police suspended Gabriel Blackwell Wednesday morning without pay, according to Deputy Chief Alvin Holston. "There's not much more we can say," Holston told WIS, "We called SLED in this morning to investigate the case."

Gabriel Blackwell is a five-year veteran of the Sumter Police Department.

The State Law Enforcement Division continues investigating the case. There is no word on whether agents plan to bring charges in the case.