Armed suspect barricades himself in home in Gaston, surrenders after negotiating for several hours

Gaston, SC 01/10/2024 (Paul Kirby) – Around 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, officers from the Gaston Police Department were dispatched to the 900 block of Mack Street. The caller reported that an individual had assaulted someone using a firearm. When officers arrived, they confirmed that the suspect was still armed and had taken the firearm and retreated into a bedroom inside the structure. At this point, he barricaded himself and refused to respond to commands to come out.

Units from the City of Cayce, the Pelion Police Department, the Irmo Police Department and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department responded to assist. A trained negotiator talked with the suspect for approximately 3 hours before he decided to surrender. He was placed under arrest without further incident.

Gaston Police Chief Stephen Watkins stated later that evening he appreciated the assistance of the other departments that responded.