Civil Air Patrol won’t take Horry County calls

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — The Myrtle Beach unit of the Civil Air Patrol will no longer take assistance calls from Horry County after its commander was arrested by county police for taking a laser pointer from a 12-year-old.

The Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports (http://bit.ly/rgjUin ) Stephen Teachout was charged with third-degree assault and petty larceny after taking the pointer from the youth last weekend after he saw the child pointing it at passing motorists. Authorities said the boy’s parents wanted to press charges.

Teachout says he supports Horry County but if the county won’t support patrol pilots, they will not be helping. The unit has three pilots who help with such things as people missing offshore and spotting forest fires.

County emergency officials didn’t know the effect of losing the patrols.

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Information from: The Sun News, http://www.thesunnews.com/