A 34-year-old Saint Ives Road man is facing multiple charges after deputies say he kicked open a residence's front door, threatened a woman and her family, and later led authorities on a vehicle chase that ended with a loaded handgun found in his truck. Donte Jamaul Mims was taken into custody Sunday after deputies say he continued calling the victim with threats even as they investigated the initial report at her Moncks Corner-area home.
Deputies responded Nov. 1 to a residence on Canterhill View Drive after a reported burglary, according to WCIV. The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office said Mims kicked open the front door and threatened the victim and her family, and deputies on scene observed front-door damage consistent with her account.
Threats Continued As Deputies Investigated
While deputies were still working the scene, Mims kept calling the victim and making threats, including statements that shots would be fired and that he was returning to the residence, per the sheriff's office. Deputies soon spotted a gray Dodge Ram matching the description of his vehicle near the home.
When deputies attempted a traffic stop, Mims refused to stop and fled, leading them on a brief vehicle pursuit, the sheriff's office said. Deputies conducted a high-risk stop and ended the pursuit on Orion Way, where Mims resisted before being taken into custody. During an inventory of the truck, deputies located a loaded 9mm handgun and ammunition inside.
Sheriff Details Charges And Response
Berkeley County Sheriff S. Duane Lewis announced the arrest and said Mims' alleged actions placed a woman, her children and others in an extremely dangerous situation. Lewis said deputies take threats of violence, especially those involving firearms, seriously, and that deputies quickly located Mims and concluded the situation without further harm to the family.
Mims was charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree domestic violence, failure to stop for blue lights and resisting arrest. The sheriff's office said the investigation is continuing.
A Persistent Problem Countywide
The case adds to a pattern local officials have flagged in recent years. A Berkeley County Sheriff's Office annual crime report cited by The Post and Courier found 302 domestic-violence charges filed countywide in 2023, with 291 of those cases requiring an order of protection or restraining order. Statewide, the South Carolina Attorney General's Office reported that 36 people were murdered by a household member in 2022 — 29 women and seven men.
Under South Carolina law, domestic violence in the first degree can apply when a violation causes great bodily injury or an act likely to cause it, when a protection order is violated during a second-degree offense, or when a defendant has two or more prior domestic-violence convictions within ten years, according to the South Carolina State House code of laws.
The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office reminded domestic violence victims that help and resources are available and encouraged anyone experiencing threats or violence to contact law enforcement.
