A state lawmaker who is also running for Congress has been arrested, South Carolina Radio Network has confirmed.
Rep. Ted Vick (D-Chesterfield)
WIS-TV first reported that Rep. Ted Vick (D-Chesterfield) was stopped for speeding in Columbia Wednesday night shortly after leaving a bar in the city’s Five Points district.
Columbia Police say Vick refused a breathalyzer test and also could not produce a permit for a pistol he was carrying.
According to a police report, an officer saw Vick driving above the speed limit on Devine Street just outside downtown Columbia. After pulling him over, the officer smelled the strong odor of alcohol and asked Vick to exit the vehicle. The officer said Vick appeared to be unsteady on his feet and swayed while walking.
After Vick refused to take a breathalyzer test, he was arrested and taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. There, a .380 semi-automatic pistol was found inside his right front pocket. Vick didn’t tell police of the weapon and police say his Concealed Weapons Permit had expired in 2007.
According to police, a 21 year-old female USC student was also reported to be an occupant of Vick’s vehicle. She was not charged.
Vick issued a statement Thursday night: “I very much regret any embarrassment I’ve caused for my family, friends and supporters. My family comes first to me and I’m going to spend time with them and consult with my pastor. Politics will have to wait.”
Vick is seeking the Democratic nomination for a new seat in Congress next month. Ironically, he is not the first candidate in that congressional race to be arrested. Former state Rep. Thad Viers pulled out and resigned his House seat after his arrest in January on harassment charges.
