MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — A former South Carolina police detective is accused of pointing a gun at a fellow Myrtle Beach Police Department officer who was microwaving fish, authorities said.
According to a news release from the the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Michael Richard DeBiase, 46, was arrested on Tuesday. He was charged with pointing and presenting a firearm at a person, an arrest warrant stated.
DeBiase was charged after the Myrtle Beach Police Department requested an investigation, WMBF reported.
According to the arrest warrant, the incident occurred on May 30. DeBiase confronted an Myrtle Beach police officer who was warming up fish in a a microwave at department headquarters at the Ted C. Collins Law Enforcement Center.
The officer’s actions created an odor in the office, and DeBiase allegedly confronted the officer about the smell. As they spoke, DeBiase allegedly drew and pointed his department-issued handgun at his colleague, the warrant stated.
Myrtle Beach police said that DeBiase was placed on administrative leave immediately, WMBF reported. After an internal investigation by the department’s Office of Professional Standards and SLED identified several policy violations, DeBiase’s employment was terminated.
“Our employees are entrusted with significant responsibility, and with that comes an expectation of professionalism, integrity, sound judgment, and respect for others,” the Myrtle Beach Police Department said in a statement to WMBF.
DeBiase was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on June 2 and was released later in the day, according to Horry County online booking records.
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