Strong police presence used to detain South Carolina man

On Behalf of | Jun 30, 2014 | Drug Charges |

A York County jury recently found a 27-year-old man guilty of drug possession, and the judge in the case sentenced the man to three years in prison. On May 29, police took the 27-year-old Rock Hill man into police custody with the assistance of a 12-member Special Weapons and Tactics team.

A week earlier, the 27-year-old man reportedly failed to appear for a scheduled trial date to face the drug charges. A bench warrant for the 27-year-old man was served by the York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit at a residence located in the Amber Ridge subdivision.

According to a police report, the 27-year-old man and another man ran inside the residence when they saw law enforcement officers. Officers reported that the 27-year-old man subsequently refused to obey commands to come outside and had barricaded himself inside the home. The SWAT team was then summoned to the scene. When SWAT team members arrived, they took the 27-year-old man into custody after kicking in the door of the residence.

Reportedly, there had been confusion between the 27-year-old man and his public defender regarding the 27-year-old man’s court date. This confusion purportedly precipitated the bench warrant as well as the May 29 situation that ensued.

As this particular case illustrates, drug charges are serious in nature and can result in serious consequences upon conviction. These penalties may include but are not limited to a lengthy prison sentence, months or years of probation, costly fines and extensive community service. When the prosecution’s case against an accused individual appears unassailable, a criminal defense attorney may advise taking a plea deal. If available, this type if agreement will likely preclude the case from going to trial and can result in lesser penalties and reduced charges for the accused individual.

Source: HeraldOnline.com, “Police: ‘High risk’ Rock Hill suspect required SWAT team”, Jonathan McFadden, June 21, 2014

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