Police charge suspect with pointing gun at them

May 13—VALDOSTA — A South Carolina man faces charges after he allegedly pointed a gun at a Valdosta police officer who was investigating a dispute at a local hotel.

Police officers responded about 11:50 p.m. Saturday to the Wingate Hotel, in the 1800 block of Clubhouse Drive, after someone reported the dispute to E911, the VPD said in a press release Monday. When they arrived, witnesses told them the person involved in the dispute was intoxicated and belligerent. Both the witnesses and the man in the dispute had participated in a competition gun show earlier in the day, so officers knew he might be carrying a firearm.

As officers walked around the hotel, one of the witnesses ran back to them and stated that the suspect had just shot a gun in the witness's direction.

Officers began searching the parking lot for the 61-year-old suspect, finding him standing hidden in a wood line behind a truck. They noticed he had a firearm pointed in the direction of one officer, according to the press release.

Officers grabbed the man and took him to the ground while trying to remove the firearm out of his hand. The man continued to resist arrest by attempting to pull his hands away from officers and not following their verbal commands, the VPD release said.

Officers were able to place him in handcuffs, and they found another firearm in his pants pocket, the VPD said. The victim who stated that the man had shot the gun in his direction did not wish to file charges against him, police said. The suspect was taken to Lowndes County Jail and he has been charged with:

— Aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer-felony.

— Possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

— 2 counts of misdemeanor obstruction of an officer.

If anyone has any further information on this case or any other cases, please contact the Valdosta Police Department Bureau of Investigative Services at 229-293-3145, the crime tip line at 229-293-3091, or file a tip online at www.valdostacity.com/police-department.