MYRTLE BEACH — Kashief Spain, the Myrtle Beach man who police say was caught with a stolen handgun belonging to a former public safety director, withdrew his request for a bond hearing Thursday in federal court in Florence.

“After carefully considering all of his options, he felt that now wasn’t the appropriate time,” said Murrells Inlet lawyer Scott Joye, who represents Spain.

This is the second time Spain has withdrawn a request to be released on bond while awaiting trial on charges of being a felon in possession of a handgun. Spain previously dropped a bond hearing request in April.

Spain was arrested on Nov. 14 following a pursuit along the Carolina Bays Parkway. During the police chase, Spain tossed a handgun out of the window of his car, according to a police report. Police found a .40-caliber Glock pistol, which turned out to be a police service weapon that had been stolen nearly two years earlier from a vehicle belonging to William Bailey, the former public safety director in North Myrtle Beach.

Spain was placed on home detention but escaped three weeks later by removing a GPS monitoring system affixed to an ankle strap he was forced to wear. Spain was at large for more than a month before surrendering to officials on Jan. 31. He remains at J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Horry County while awaiting trial on the federal gun charge.

Spain has a long criminal history including burglary and drug charges and had just been released from serving six concurrent 15-year sentences for burglary when he was arrested early last year on drug charges. He was awaiting trial on those charges when the Nov. 14 pursuit occurred.

Spain was indicted on the federal handgun charge on Feb. 28, and Horry County Solicitor Greg Hembree dismissed numerous charges against Spain two days later. Those charges included drug possession, failure to stop for a blue light and possession of a stolen weapon. With the federal case moving forward, the solicitor’s office also dropped charges associated with Spain’s escape from home detention.

Spain has pleaded not guilty to the federal charge, which carries a sentence of not less than 15 years in prison because Spain has been convicted of at least three previous violent felonies or drug offenses.

Contact DAVID WREN at 626-0281.