LONGS, SC (WBTW) – Horry County police charged a man with breach of peace after a five-hour standoff Wednesday afternoon.
Police say the man barricaded himself inside a home in Longs on Palmetto Green Drive around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. After a five-hour standoff, the man, later identified as 25-year-old Fredrick James, was taken into custody after being checked by medics at the scene.
During the standoff, hostage negotiators and a SWAT team were in and around the house on Palmetto Green Drive near the Colonial Charters golf course.
The homeowner and neighbors told News13 the man is a veteran who suffers from PTSD. They also say that man has been in a standoff before.
Horry County police were in a 17-hour standoff at the same home in June 2017. The man in that standoff was not charged.
Neighbors say they’re worried for their safety after two armed standoffs in less than a year.
“It seems like there was nothing done,” said Bernie Johnson, who lives near where the standoff happened. “What are they going to do? These are older people around here, elderly people around here. They’re concerned of how this neighborhood is.”
The incident report associated with the standoff was released Thursday. The report states that officers were called to the home shortly before 9 a.m. for a suicidal person. A witness met officers at the scene and said James had stolen her keys to a gun safe inside the home and while she didn’t believe he would hurt anyone else, he may hurt himself.
Officers attempted to talk with James but retreated after hearing a single gunshot come from inside the home. Additional officers and SWAT were eventually able to get James out of the house without injury.
James was taken to the Sea Coast Medical Center to be treated and then released. While the officer was walking James to his patrol vehicle, James ran from the officer into traffic on Highway 9. The officer called for EMS who transported James to Grand Strand Medical Center. James was treated and released and booked into J. Reuben Long Detention Center at 7:08 p.m. Wednesday evening. At the time of this posting, James remains in jail.
