Weird news from the coastal South: fish fights and fancy hotel fraud
The coastal South has once again delivered the kind of news that practically begs to be forwarded to a group chat, with a conch-chowder craving gone criminal, a jaw-dropping room tab at a Florida resort and a some serious beef over reheated fish. A microwaved-fish standoff A Myrtle Beach detective who allegedly pointed his department-issued handgun at a fellow officer over the smell of microwaved fish will not be going to jail - but he will not be going back to policing, either. Michael DeBiase, 46, agreed on Oct. 23, 2026, to plead guilty to a reduced charge of public disorderly conduct, which generally comes with a fine, according to the Myrtle Beach Sun News . As part of the negotiated plea, DeBiase must surrender his police certification and never seek reinstatement. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division originally charged him in June with pointing and presenting a firearm at a person. According to a SLED warrant, DeBiase had confronted a fellow officer on May 30 about "warming up fish in a microwave" before allegedly drawing his sidearm. The department placed him on administrative leave immediately and later "separate[d] employment" after identifying several policy violations. A $2,419 Cheeca Lodge tab,
