South Carolina Crime Report
Myrtle Beach detective Michael DeBiase was fired after police said he pointed his service handgun during an argument about fish heated in a station microwave.
Summary
DeBiase was a detective with the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
Police said he argued with a patrol officer who was heating fish in a microwave at headquarters.
The disagreement allegedly escalated when DeBiase drew and pointed his department-issued handgun.
He was arrested on a felony firearm charge and released on $5,000 bond.
The department placed him on administrative leave and opened an internal investigation.
DeBiase’s employment was later terminated.
Termination is an administrative result and does not substitute for a criminal conviction.
1. The Crime or Misconduct
DeBiase was a detective with the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
Police said he argued with a patrol officer who was heating fish in a microwave at headquarters.
2. Crime Location
The reported event occurred at Myrtle Beach Police Department headquarters. Exact residential addresses and unnecessary identifying information are omitted.
3. Date and Time
The relevant reported date or period was May 30, 2026. Later procedural developments are reflected in the case-status section.
4. Police Department or Investigating Authority
The matter was handled by Myrtle Beach Police Department and outside criminal review. Court and disciplinary bodies may have become involved after the initial investigation.
5. Defendant or Subject Name
The person or people identified in the public record were Michael DeBiase.
6. Age
The reported age or age range was 46.
7. Charges or Proceeding
The principal charge or proceeding was Felony pointing or presenting a firearm.
8. Bond Amount or Custody
$5,000.
9. Conviction
10. Sentence
11. Outcome
DeBiase was placed on leave and later fired.
Administrative actions such as termination, no-contact orders or professional discipline are separate from a criminal conviction unless the public record states otherwise.
12. Victim
A patrol officer involved in the microwave dispute.
Victim Age
Sources
Verified chronology and latest status
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division records give this case a firm procedural date. SLED charged Michael DeBiase, 46, on June 2, 2026 with pointing and presenting a firearm at a person and booked him into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center. The warrant concerned a May 30 confrontation inside Myrtle Beach Police Department headquarters after another officer heated fish in a microwave. Reporting says DeBiase was immediately placed on administrative leave and was no longer employed by the department when the arrest became public. He was released from jail the same day.
The corrected case date for this article is 2026-06-02. The older import described the relevant period as May 30, 2026, but this update uses a completed case event supported by the source record: June 2, 2026 SLED charge, booking and same-day release, after the May 30 headquarters incident. The latest verified posture is: SLED charged former Myrtle Beach detective Michael DeBiase with pointing and presenting a firearm at a person on June 2, 2026; the department terminated his employment. No later criminal disposition was located through August 11, 2026.
Evidence, charges and reporting limits
The criminal allegation and the employment decision must remain separate. The department could decide that the alleged conduct violated workplace standards without a jury having found DeBiase guilty of the felony charge. SLED’s warrant is the principal source for the criminal accusation: it says DeBiase drew and pointed his department-issued handgun during the office confrontation. The public reporting reviewed for this case does not identify a later guilty plea, dismissal, trial verdict or sentence. The article therefore reports the termination as an administrative outcome while keeping the criminal case in allegation language.
The public record identifies Michael DeBiase (46) in connection with the matter at Myrtle Beach Police Department headquarters. The reported charge or proceeding is Felony pointing or presenting a firearm. The reported custody or bond information is $5,000. Those details are preserved because they help distinguish allegation, custody, plea, discipline and sentence. Where the reviewed sources do not establish a later judgment, this article does not supply one by inference.
Source record
- sled.sc.gov: case-specific source
- wmbfnews.com: case-specific source
- people.com: case-specific source
- thesmokinggun.com: case-specific source
Disclaimer: This article summarizes official statements, court information and case-specific reporting available through August 11, 2026. Criminal charges remain allegations unless a valid plea or court judgment establishes guilt. Administrative discipline and platform or employment decisions are reported separately from criminal adjudication.
Why the factual sequence matters
For this case, the sequence reported by investigators and court records is especially important. DeBiase was a detective with the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Police said he argued with a patrol officer who was heating fish in a microwave at headquarters. The disagreement allegedly escalated when DeBiase drew and pointed his department-issued handgun. He was arrested on a felony firearm charge and released on $5,000 bond. The department placed him on administrative leave and opened an internal investigation. DeBiase’s employment was later terminated. Termination is an administrative result and does not substitute for a criminal conviction. Read together, those facts explain why the article uses the charge and status language above rather than reducing the case to its unusual headline detail. The chronology separates what witnesses or officers said happened from what a court has actually decided.
the update also avoids merging this matter with unrelated arrests, later controversies involving the same public figure, or generic statute summaries. The record here is limited to Michael DeBiase, the events connected to Myrtle Beach Police Department headquarters, and the procedural developments supported by the linked case-specific sources. A later verified plea, dismissal, verdict, sentence or appellate ruling should supersede this status if one becomes available.
