Man who reportedly threatened Sumter firefighters in custody 

Sumter County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man who reportedly pointed a weapon at firefighters attempting to extinguish a fire.

On Monday, Aug. 3, shortly before 9 p.m., firefighters responded to a fire in a wooded area behind a fast-food restaurant along U.S. 15. According to Mark Bordeaux, public information officer for the sheriff's office, deputies were later dispatched to the scene after firefighters encountered Michael Lee Hodge, 51, who reportedly threatened them with a gun.

Hodge was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree assault and battery, Bordeaux said. He was taken to Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center, where he awaits a bond hearing.