Ex-officer sentenced on reduced charge months after workplace dispute inside police department break room.
A former Myrtle Beach police detective who was fired and charged after allegedly pointing a handgun at a fellow officer during an argument has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and will not serve jail time, according to public records.
The case stems from a June 2 incident inside the Myrtle Beach Police Department break room, where investigators said an argument broke out over the smell of reheated fish.
Authorities alleged that Detective Michael DeBiase, 46, drew his department-issued firearm and pointed it at another officer during the dispute. No shots were fired and no injuries were reported.
At the time, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division charged DeBiase with pointing and presenting a firearm, a felony offense carrying a potential prison sentence.
He was subsequently terminated by the Myrtle Beach Police Department following internal and external investigations into the incident.
According to recently filed court records, DeBiase has now pleaded guilty to a reduced charge as part of a negotiated resolution of the case. Under the terms of the sentence, he will avoid incarceration.
The unusual confrontation drew widespread attention when details of the dispute became public, with the incident originating from a disagreement over fish being heated in a workplace microwave before escalating into a criminal investigation.
This case remains a notable storyline of how a routine workplace disagreement escalated into criminal charges and ended the law enforcement career of a veteran officer.
Coastal Carolina News Related coverage: Officer Fired After Drawing Gun in Heated Debate Over Microwave Fish.
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