By Delayna Earley and Mike McCombs
The Island News
City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal firefighters were attacked by a man with a machete Monday morning, May 11, as they responded to a fire alarm at a local hotel.
Just after 8 a.m., Engine Company 4 of the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department was responding to a fire alarm call at the Comfort Suites at 131 Big John Road.
According to Deputy Chief Ross Vezin, while responding, the incident was upgraded to a structure fire based on information from Beaufort County Dispatch and a sprinkler activation.
As firefighters arrived on scene and entered the hotel room where the fire was located, they were “confronted and attacked by a man armed with a machete.”
“Our crews remained safe and handled an extremely difficult and dangerous situation professionally and appropriately,” The Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department said in a social media post.
According to the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department, the firefighters involved in the incident were evaluated on scene by Beaufort County EMS and cleared for duty.
Vezin said the fire was small, and the sprinkler system put it out. At this time, it is unclear how the assailant was detained.
“I can’t speak about that,” said Vezin when asked how the man was subdued. Vezin did confirm the only weapon his firefighters saw was the machete.
Master Sgt. Sean Flomer of Patrol Operations for the Beaufort Police said the suspect was taken to a local hospital and then booked into the Beaufort County Detention Center.
According to the Beaufort County Detention Center, Joseph Leroy Smalls, 40, of St. Helena Island, was the only person booked into the detention center by the Beaufort Police on Monday morning. He is charged with Assault and Battery — 1st degree, and his bond was set Tuesday morning at $50,000.
Flomer, who said he is the acting Public Information Officer for the Beaufort Police Department, has so far not confirmed the identity of the person arrested. As of press time Tuesday afternoon, Smalls remains confined.
The Beaufort Police Department is handling the investigation into the attack on the firefighters, while, according to Vezin, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has been notified and will be investigating the fire.
Renee Wunderlich, Public Information Officer for SLED confirmed that the “Arson Investigations Unit was requested to assist with an investigation on Monday, May 11, 2026, by the Beaufort City Police Department to determine origin and cause of a hotel room fire.”
She also confirmed a firefighter responding to that room was attacked by a man armed with a machete; and that firefighter was treated for an injury; and the subject was taken into custody.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
Mike McCombs is the Editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.