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Vendors urge Hartsville council to act after masked 'auditor' filmed and posted vendors' information
Summary
Vendors Maryanne Chapman and Erikica Goza told the council that a person wearing a Stormtrooper helmet recorded and provoked patrons at the downtown farmers market on May 10, later posting footage that included vendors’ personal details; they urged the city to adopt a safety ordinance or require a detailed market safety plan before reopening.
Maryanne Chapman, a longtime downtown vendor, told the Hartsville City Council that on May 10 a person she identified as Ryan Christopher H. Hearnden entered the farmers market wearing a full Stormtrooper helmet, filmed vendors and patrons, and “proceeded to walk up and down the market, recording as he walked, never stopping at any booth to engage until he found mine.” Chapman said she and other vendors were harassed, that at least one vendor was taken into custody on an assault charge after a physical altercation, and that Hearnden later uploaded video to YouTube listing vendors’ full names and contact information, producing dozens of threatening phone calls and messages.
Another downtown vendor, Erikica Goza, told the council the masked man had also confronted people at the post office earlier that day and then moved through the market, “creating utter chaos” by filming customers and vendors and later posting personal details online. Goza said market management and the city’s initial followup were insufficient and asked the council to either require a detailed safety plan for the next market or cancel the event until one is completed.
Mayor Casey Hancock acknowledged the seriousness of the harassment and the online fallout, telling Chapman, “I’m so sorry this happened… this sucks. It does really bad, especially the online harassment.” He said council staff are reviewing what the law allows and what local authorities can do without infringing the First Amendment. Councilmembers said they were consulting legal counsel and market management on options to improve vendor safety and indicated they would share proposed steps with vendors before the next market.
No formal ordinance was introduced during the meeting. Vendors asked the council for an explicitly documented safety plan and clearer lines of responsibility for market management and law enforcement during events. City staff signaled they are exploring operational changes and legal limits but emphasized the tension between public‑space recording and local restrictions on harassment or doxxing.
The council did not vote on new rules at the meeting; vendors left urging a near‑term response from city leaders and better communication about what measures will be put in place before the next scheduled market.
What happens next: Council members said staff will review legal options and present potential operational changes or ordinance text for council consideration; vendors requested the city send a safety plan to market vendors before the next scheduled event.
