HCPD: Man chases, fires gun at two teen boys in North Myrtle Beach area

A 34-year-old man was arrested Monday after two teens reported he chased them and fired a gun at them several times Friday night in the North Myrtle Beach area.

Brandon Suggs, 34, of Longs is charged with two counts of pointing and presenting firearms at a person and two counts of first-degree assault, according to J. Reuben Long Detention Center records.

Horry County officers were called about 10:30 p.m. Friday in reference to shots fired and met with a 16-year-old male and a 15-year-old male who reported the incident, which happened on the 300th block of San Martin Court, according to a police report.

The 16-year-old said he and the 15-year-old were invited over to a girls’ house to “chill out,” and said the girls made them leave through a window when they saw parents coming home, authorities said.

The 16-year-old said he and the other victim were running to their vehicle, which was parked in a cul-de-sac, when Suggs and a witness with him tried to block them in, police said.

The victim said Suggs stepped out in front of his vehicle and said he kept going as the suspect jumped out of the way, according to the report.

The 16-year-old victim said he saw Suggs reach down toward his boot and pull out a handgun that he then fired at them, police said.

Suggs and the witness got in a vehicle and began chasing after the teens, and the 16-year-old victim said Suggs fired another shot and continued to pursue them as they headed through the front entrance of the neighborhood, police said.

The victim said Suggs was trying to get next to his vehicle, so he kept blocking him. The victim said Suggs rode up beside his vehicle and pointed the gun at him, and the 16-year-old victim sped up because he feared he would be shot, authorities said.

The 16-year-old victim said he ran a red light at Robert Edge Parkway because Suggs shot at him again, and Suggs continued to chase him as he turned right onto S.C. 9 and fired at him once more, according to the report.

The victim said Suggs stopped chasing him around Mount Zion Road, authorities said.

Police went to the Pelican Bay neighborhood where the incident occurred and met with Suggs, who told authorities he saw the victims running from behind a house and going to a vehicle.

He said he drove over and approached the vehicle and asked the victims what they were doing in the neighborhood, and the driver took off abruptly, almost running him over, police said.

Suggs said he fired two shots in the air and then took off behind the vehicle to try to get the license plate number, police said.

Suggs denied chasing the vehicle to S.C. 9 and said he stopped chasing the victims after they ran several red lights.

A witness with Suggs said they were almost hit by the victim’s vehicle, but stopped chasing the victims when it got too dangerous and said they called 911.

An Horry County dispatcher supervisor verified they called, but said the suspect would not cooperate and kept hanging up on her until the suspect finally told he would take care it himself, according to the report.

Police found four empty shell casings at the incident location, the report states.

On Saturday, a judge was presented the facts of the incident and found probable cause for arrest warrants in connection with pointing and presenting a firearm and first-degree assault and battery, police said.

“The charges made by an officer or investigator are made based on the evidence at hand. In this case attempted murder was not justified,” Lt. Raul Denis, spokesman with Horry County police, said in an email when asked about the charges.

Suggs was released from the J. Reuben Long Detention Center Monday afternoon on $3,500 bond, jail records show.

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 11:04 AM with the headline "HCPD: Man chases, fires gun at two teen boys in North Myrtle Beach area."