By Mike McCombs
City of Beaufort Police officers responding to a 9-1-1 hang-up call on Sunday, July 4, were shot at in what appears to be a deliberate and planned attack.
According to a release Monday by the Beaufort Police Department, officers with Patrol Team 2 responded to an 8:08 p.m. 9-1-1 hang-up call from a residence in the 70 block of Bostick Circle.
During the call, 44-year-old Daniel Bridwell did not provide any information to the dispatcher and hung up the phone. Two officers arriving at the home were met by another occupant of the residence, who said she heard a gunshot come from Bridwell’s second-story bedroom and that she could not get any response from behind the closed bedroom door.
The officers entered the residence and attempted to check on Bridwell, calling out to him from the area adjoining his bedroom. According to police, almost immediately after officers approached the door, Bridwell allegedly fired two shots from a .45 caliber handgun through the bedroom door, narrowly missing both officers.
“The initial assessment of the incident seems to indicate a planned assault, in that he called 911 to provoke a response by police and then fired at our officers,” City of Beaufort Police Capt. George Erdel said Monday. “As to his mental health or other motivating/causal factors, that is still under investigation.”
The officers, neither of whom were injured, retreated to a safer position and continued to call out to Bridwell, who did not answer and remained barricaded behind the door. Deputies from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to provide assistance.
After several minutes, Bridwell jumped from his bedroom window and allegedly fired an additional shot into his bedroom from outside of the residence, before dropping his handgun and attempting to flee.
Bridwell was arrested without further incident in front of the home and was ultimately transported to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston for treatment of injuries he received in the fall from the second story of the home.
Erdel classified Bridwell’s injuries as “serious but not life threatening.” He does not know when Bridwell will be returned to Beaufort.
Bridwell is under guard and will be charged with attempted murder upon his release from MUSC. This remains an active and ongoing investigation.
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
