A former Myrtle Beach police officer who pulled his gun on a colleague over microwaved fish has avoided jail after accepting a plea deal. Michael DeBiase pleaded guilty on Friday to public disorderly conduct and will not serve time, but he is barred from rejoining law enforcement, according to court records.
Incident at Myrtle Beach Police Department
DeBiase had been charged with presenting and pointing a firearm after confronting a fellow officer about heating fish in a microwave at the Myrtle Beach Police Department in May this year. Investigators said that during the dispute DeBiase removed his service weapon from its holster and pointed it at the other officer in the department's briefing room.
He was placed on administrative leave immediately after the incident while investigations were carried out by the Myrtle Beach Police Department's Office of Professional Standards and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. DeBiase was later fired after the internal affairs investigation identified several policy violations.
Department statement and plea outcome
The Myrtle Beach Police Department said in a June statement that it had "recently separated employment" with DeBiase. The statement read: "Based on information learned during the Office of Professional Standards investigation, several policy violations were identified. This incident does not reflect the values demonstrated by the men and women of the Myrtle Beach Police Department every day."
It added: "However, it does demonstrate our commitment to accountability and our willingness to address conduct that falls short of our expectations." In a Facebook post, the department said the alleged incident involved DeBiase removing his department-issued firearm from its holster while in the PD briefing room and pointing it at another officer.
Court records have not revealed what type of fish was being microwaved, nor whether that action itself could be classified as criminal behaviour. DeBiase's guilty plea to public disorderly conduct means he avoids jail, but the ban on rejoining law enforcement remains in place.
