Myrtle Beach cops help staff vacate armed man from motel amid coronavirus order: report
A man staying in a Myrtle Beach motel became irate before showing a gun in his waistband to management staff members who were attempting to vacate the business in accordance with coronavirus-related orders from city officials, according to a police report.
At approximately 1 p.m. Friday, officers responded to The Virginian Motel, located at 1810 South Ocean Boulevard, for a weapon law violation. Police located the suspect standing near a vehicle and patted him down but found no weapons on his person, the report states.
The suspect told police he was upset that motel management was kicking people out without another place to go, officers noted.
Three victims at the office of the motel told officers they were going around the business asking occupants to vacate because of the mandatory order from the City of Myrtle Beach. The man became irate and refused to leaving, saying he had nowhere else to go, according to the report.
The suspect then went up to his room, grabbed a black handgun and placed it in his waistband before returning to where the victims were. He then lifted his shirt to show the gun in his waistband while continuing to argue with the victims, the report states.
The victims told police that he never pointed the weapon at them and that they did not want to pursue charges while instead asking officers to assist in removing him from the motel, according to the report. There are no arrest records in connection to the incident.
Earlier this week, the City of Myrtle Beach, along with other local municipalities and Horry County, ordered accommodations providers including hotels, short-term rental properties and campgrounds to end reservations through April and vacate those properties by noon Sunday.
