Sumter County deputies control hostage situation in Wedgefield area, hostages freed
SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO)– Sumter County deputies say a hostage situation involving a barricaded person was resolved Monday afternoon.
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
FILE - Shown is a Philadelphia police car with flashing lights in Philadelphia, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. The Philadelphia Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police has filed a lawsuit Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022 seeking to stop a city law banning officers from pulling over drivers for low-level offenses from going into effect saying the law illegally pre-empts existing state laws on traffic violations. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Deputies say the hostages were safely freed and the person was found deceased on.
At about 12:18 p.m., the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office received a report that two people were being held hostage at their home on Sally Street in the Wedgefield area of Sumter County.
A relative of one of the hostages had received a call from them stating they were being held against their will by Anthony Lee Safrit, says the sheriff’s office.
They also reported that Safrit had open warrants and threatened to kill others at the home.
The relative stated that they were told family members at the home were being restrained and that Safrit was armed with a handgun.
Sheriff Anthony Dennis activated the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team (SERT) and called for U.S. Marshals who had previous contact with the person to assist.
When SCSO’s SERT team and U.S. Marshals arrived to the scene, they announced their presence, and Safrit was called to surrender several times.
The two hostages, an 87-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman were able to leave the home.
After receiving no response from Safrit, the sheriff office’s Emergency Response Team conducted a search of the home but did not locate him.
However, using an unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicle, they saw a “bunker” in the back of the home beneath the garage, where it had been reported that Safrit was hiding.
As SERT approached the bunker, they reported hearing what sounded like a gunshot.
Using a snake camera, authorities were able to view inside the bunker and saw Safrit with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and a handgun lying nearby.
Authorities removed Safrit from the bunker for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) who confirmed he was deceased, says the sheriff’s office.
No law enforcement personnel were injured, and the public was not in danger during the incident, according to SCSO.
At the request of Sheriff Anthony Dennis, members of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) responded to the scene and were tasked with conducting the investigation.
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