Liberty Man Barricades Home After Attacking Neighbor Pushing Stroller, Deputies Say

A man walking his child in a stroller through his Liberty, South Carolina neighborhood was attacked by a neighbor he says he did not even know by name, according to the Pickens County Sheriff's Office. The victim told deputies he was simply trying to get his child to fall asleep when the confrontation happened on Tuesday. Within a day, the suspect was barricaded inside his own home, facing off against a SWAT team before authorities fired less-lethal ammunition into the home and took him into custody.

A Chance Patrol Spots the Getaway Car

The break in the case came almost by accident. A Pickens County deputy on routine patrol spotted the suspect's vehicle and attempted to make contact with the driver, but the suspect fled the scene instead, as reported by WYFF. The deputy managed to obtain the vehicle's tag number before it sped off, giving investigators a lead in the search.

A Flock camera later spotted the suspect's vehicle heading toward Easley, according to The Post and Courier. The sighting gave deputies a fresh trail to follow.

Suspect Barricades Himself With a Weapon

Deputies responded to the suspect's home on Wednesday, where he had barricaded himself inside after being seen with a weapon, deputies say. Authorities called in the Pickens County Sheriff's Office SWAT team.

Rather than force a violent confrontation, authorities fired less-lethal ammunition into the home, a tactic used to bring the standoff to an end. The suspect was ultimately taken into custody.

According to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy’s Training Officer Handbook, 7th Edition, law-enforcement officers must complete annual firearms and less-lethal-weapons training or qualification and review their use-of-force policy. The South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy’s April 24, 2024, meeting minutes say the council unanimously voted to add a minimum-standards policy requiring annual training on lethal and less-than-lethal weapons.

Victim Never Learned Attacker's Name

The victim told deputies he did not know the suspect's name, despite the attack unfolding in his own neighborhood while he pushed his child in a stroller, according to the sheriff's office. He was able to describe the vehicle the suspect left the scene in.

The Pickens County Sheriff's Office has not yet released the suspect's identity, saying that information will come out at an appropriate time. The report does not specify what charges the man faces or what penalties might apply.

A Small Town With a Big Family Footprint

Liberty is in Pickens County, where the Pickens County Sheriff's Office responded to the incident.

The available account focuses on a man walking a child in a stroller and does not provide demographic statistics. Neither the victim nor the child's condition following the alleged attack has been detailed by authorities.

An earlier Easley pursuit this year also involved Flock technology. In that case, deputies used stop sticks while pursuing a suspect accused of trying to hit officers; charges followed, according to the earlier Easley car chase. More information about the Liberty suspect will be released at an appropriate time, the sheriff's office says.