The Myrtle Beach Police Department has charged Kenneth Beachum, 33, of Mullins with Arson, calling in a false bomb threat, false fire alarm, and burglary in the second degree after barricading himself in a room at the Yachtsman Resort for over four hours on July 15.
Officers were called to the Yachtsman yesterday after a bomb threat to the Olympic Pancake house led officers to the Seaglass Tower. While officers were investigating the bomb threat, Beachum pulled the fire alarm on the resort’s seventh floor, forcing guests out of their room. Beachum entered a room on the seventh floor and barricaded himself inside, and contacted dispatch by phone. Dispatchers and negotiators spoke to him by phone until he threw the phones off the balcony. Detectives and Negotiators were able to talk to him from an adjoining room. Negotiations continued for several hours until around 4:45 p.m. when officers on the scene could smell a strong odor of smoke after Beachum set fire to furniture in the room. The sprinkler system contained the fire, but the situation forced officers and firefighters to make entry into the room to prevent loss of life or property. After making entry into the room, officers were able to detain Beachum on the balcony. Beachum was safely taken into custody.
“This was outstanding work done by officers and our law enforcement and fire department partners,” said Chief Prock. “This was a rapidly changing incident and required a joint response from several agencies. Our partnerships and training resulted in a positive ending, and I am proud of our team for their courage and for safely taking Beachum into custody.”
Beachhum’s bond was set by Judge J. Scott Long for $385,000.
Judge Long did state, “I have kids of my own and I’m lucky they weren’t down here for this situation as it was going on,”. Judge J. Scott Long noted the defendant has 27 pages of prior criminal history that he reviewed prior to Friday’s bond hearing. “It does give me concern for the safety of the public,” Long said.
As of this morning Mr. Beachum is still incarcerated at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center.