South Carolina cop loses job and is charged after he allegedly pulled gun on co-worker who heated up FISH in office microwave

Published: 21:30, 3 June 2026 | Updated: 21:30, 3 June 2026 It was a fishy situation at South Carolina's Myrtle Beach police station over the weekend. A hard-nosed detective allegedly pulled his gun on a beat cop after microwaved seafood sent a foul-smelling odor through the office lunchroom. Michael Debiase, 46, is now out of a job and facing a federal felony charge for allegedly pointing his firearm at his colleague during the confrontation on Saturday. Officials from the Myrtle Beach Police Department (MBPD), about 95 miles northeast of Charleston, said in a statement that they had 'separated employment' with Debiase, who was charged with Pointing and Presenting a Firearm.  'The alleged incident involved Debiase removing his department-issued firearm from its holster while in the PD briefing room,' MBPD wrote in a press release. Officials said the detective was immediately placed on administrative leave following the incident while investigations were conducted by the Myrtle Beach Police Department's Office of Professional Standards and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division [SLED]. MBPD said the Office of Professional Standards investigation identified several policy violations. Debiase was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Horry County on Tuesday and was later released without bail, according to public records. Former detective Michael Debiase, 46, allegedly pulled his service weapon on a patrolman at the Myrtle Beach Police Department [MBPD] headquarters on Saturday Debiase 'separated employment' from the Myrtle Beach Police Department (MBPD) and was charged with Pointing and Presenting a Firearm, officials said 'The alleged incident involved DeBiase removing his department-issued firearm from its holster while in the PD briefing room,' MBPD wrote in a press release (MBPD headquarter pictured) According to Justia, a legal information website, a person found guilty of Pointing and Presenting a Firearm must face either a fine or imprisonment of up to 5 years. 'This incident does not reflect the values demonstrated by the men and women of the Myrtle Beach Police Department every day,' wrote officials. 'However, it does demonstrate our commitment to accountability and our willingness to address conduct that falls short of our expectations.' 'The Myrtle Beach Police Department takes violations of policy and professional standards seriously.' 'We remain committed to maintaining the trust of our community by holding our employees accountable and ensuring they uphold the high standards expected of those who serve the City of Myrtle Beach.' Debiase's arrest warrant noted that his case will be prosecuted by the 15th Circuit Solicitor's Office. According to documents viewed by the New York Post, his next court appearance is scheduled for August 14. The Daily Mail has reached out to SLED and MBPD for comment. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.