A beach encounter near the Gulfport-Long Beach boundary ended with a man in custody Friday evening after he allegedly displayed a knife to a Mississippi Department of Marine Resources officer and entered the Mississippi Sound. He was charged with simple assault.
WLOX reported that the man had been camping on the beach and was asked by an MDMR officer to leave. The man allegedly showed the officer a knife, ran, and entered the Sound. The incident began before 2:20 p.m. Friday.
A Careful Standoff in the Water
WLOX reported that MDMR crews spent the afternoon working to get the man out of the water safely. He was described as floating in the Sound. Officials said no one was injured and that the man did not harm himself or anyone else during the incident.
After several hours, the man surrendered, according to WLOX. He was in custody by 7:30 p.m. Friday and had been charged with simple assault.
What Marine Patrol Does
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources says its Office of Marine Patrol enforces federal and state laws and Commission on Marine Resources ordinances, including boating-safety laws, and provides emergency assistance concerning the state’s marine environment.
Open Questions Remain
The available account does not identify the man or give details about the knife or how long he was in the water before surrendering.
Fox10 also covered the incident. The timeline and details described above are attributed to WLOX.
