Terrance Lee Bland
Greenwood, S.C.; November 10, 2017 – Eighth Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo announced Friday that a Greenwood man was sentenced Thursday afternoon to 15 years in prison for a pair of incidents in which he assaulted a man and fired shots into the man’s residence, all in the presence of the victim’s 2-year-old daughter.
Terrance Lee Bland, 31, of Greenwood, was found guilty of one count of first degree burglary, one count of first degree assault and battery, one count of discharging a firearm into a dwelling, one count of failure to stop for blue lights, and three counts of second degree assault and battery. Bland was tried on three charges of attempted murder, but the jury elected to find Bland guilty of the lesser included offense of second degree assault and battery. The guilty verdicts came down following a three-day trial at the Greenwood County Courthouse.
Circuit Judge William P. Keesley sentenced Bland to 15 years in prison on the charge of first degree burglary, three years in prison on each of the second-degree assault and battery charges, 10 years in prison on the charge of discharging a firearm into a dwelling, and 90 days in jail on each of the charges of first-degree assault and battery and failure to stop for blue lights.
The charges stem from two separate incidents in February 2016. Bland went to his sister’s home and began assaulting his sister’s boyfriend while his sister’s boyfriend was asleep. The victim was asleep in the bed with his 2-year-old daughter at the time. Bland’s sister told law enforcement that Bland was not invited into the home.
Bland threatened the victim, saying that he would shoot the victim if he called law enforcement. The victim called 911 immediately after Bland left the residence.
The following night, Bland returned to his sister’s home and fired several gunshots into the home. A neighbor spotted Bland’s vehicle leaving the scene. At the time the shots were fired, Bland’s sister, her boyfriend and the couple’s 2-year-old daughter were in the living room of the residence.
Bland fled the scene and led officers on a chase that spanned 12 miles, hitting speeds of nearly 100 mph, before coming to an end when Bland struck a deer.
Assistant Solicitors Josh Thomas and Wade Dowtin handled the case for the state, with assistance from 8th Circuit Inv. Courtney Smith. Bland was represented by Michael Gambrell of the Greenville County Bar.
Solicitor Stumbo praised the work of his staff along with Deputies Will Johnston, Chad Robertson, and Agostino Fiocco, and Lt. Derrick Smith of the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office in securing the conviction.
“Only a very dangerous person would fire shots into his sister’s home with her and her 2-year-old daughter present just to settle a petty street beef,” Solicitor Stumbo said. “I’m proud of the work of the law enforcement officers as well as my staff on making sure that this menace will be off the streets for a long time to come.”