"Angered by Fish Smell"... US Detective Fired After Pointing Gun at Fellow Officer

Upset Over Fish Odor in the Office
Draws Handgun on Fellow Officer

A detective from a police department in the United States was fired after being arrested on charges of pointing a handgun at a fellow officer who was heating up fish.

Fish Dish. Photo is not related to specific content of the article. Pixabay

According to USA Today on June 4 (local time), Michael Debiase, a 46-year-old detective with the Myrtle Beach Police Department in South Carolina, was dismissed after being accused of pointing a gun at a fellow officer who was heating up fish in the break room microwave.

According to the arrest warrant released by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), on May 30, Debiase confronted a police officer who was heating fish in the station's break room. When the smell of microwaved fish spread through the office, Debiase took issue with it. During the confrontation, he drew his service handgun and pointed it at his colleague.

It was not disclosed whether the firearm was loaded, nor was the identity of the officer who was threatened revealed.

Investigators obtained statements from both parties immediately after the incident and launched an investigation.

The Myrtle Beach Police Department placed Debiase on administrative leave while an internal affairs unit and SLED conducted a joint investigation. Three days after the incident, on June 2, Debiase was arrested on felony charges of pointing a firearm at a person, booked into Horry County Jail, and subsequently fired from the police department.

In a statement, the Myrtle Beach Police Department said, "Our employees are entrusted with great responsibility, and are required to demonstrate professionalism, integrity, sound judgment, and respect for others. This incident does not reflect the values that the members of the Myrtle Beach Police Department demonstrate every day."

Meanwhile, under South Carolina law, pointing a firearm at another person is a felony punishable by a court-imposed fine or up to five years in prison.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.