Atlantic Beach’s new mayor, Retha Pierce, claims town leaders devised a scheme to overthrow her administration in January, when police shot cell phone videos of arguments inside town hall that eventually led to Pierce’s most recent legal troubles.
Horry County Police charged Pierce with resisting arrest in December 2007 after police said she tried to walk away from a traffic stop Christmas night.
But on Jan. 28, Atlantic Beach Police arrested Pierce after she went to town hall and started arguments with town officials two days in a row, according to Chief Randy Rizzo.
Pierce said on Jan. 26, she and town manager Kenneth McIver agreed to meet the following day about setting an office up inside town hall.
On Jan. 27, Pierce said she went to town hall for her scheduled meeting with McIver, but ran into Councilwoman Charlene Taylor inside town hall and an argument ensued over boxes and file cabinets piled inside the office Pierce said was set aside for her.
Cell phone video shot by Atlantic Beach Police of the argument showed Taylor and Pierce in a heated argument that at one point caused Rizzo to step in and hold Pierce back.
Police broke up the argument and both sides went their separate ways, according to police.
Pierce told News13 by phone Friday that if anyone deserved to be arrested it was Taylor, “I pointed out the vulgar language of Mrs. Taylor to Rizzo. He did nothing about it. I couldn't understand why there was interference and attempts to undermine what I was doing,” Pierce said.
Mayor Pierce said town leaders were working together to hide evidence of corruption from her and used the video and the arrest to discredit her and undermine her attempts to uncover the truth.
On Jan. 28, Pierce returned to town hall for a meeting with McIver and handed town clerk, Cheryl Pereira a memo concerning the incident with Taylor form the day before, according to Pierce.
The memo contained references to Pereira and allegations that the clerk called Taylor to town hall which started the Jan. 27 incident.
Another argument ensued between Pierce and town employees and Atlantic Beach Police tried for nearly 30 minutes to have Pierce leave town hall before calling Rizzo in to handle the situation, according to police.
In cell phone video shot on Jan. 28, Rizzo asks Pierce to leave town hall several times, before arresting Pierce and charging her with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct.
Pierce told News13 the video was a ‘concoction’ and part of the plan to discredit the new mayor, “Any con artist can put something together, it just didn't happen, there was no one there with video; no one there that day. I'm going to get everybody who is out to get me. Wolves in sheep's clothing I like to call them; looking to destroy Retha Pierce, discredit Mrs. Pierce.”
Pierce said she plans to sue the town over the video and the officer who shot it.
Pierce has a hearing on the charges set for March 10.
The mayor remains free on bond.
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