Law enforcement and emergency vehicles flooded Poplar Drive off Chestnut Street Wednesday afternoon after a man threatened to blow up himself and deputies, according to Orangeburg County Sheriff Larry Williams.

Bernard Stratchum, 49, of 140 Poplar Drive was eventually taken into custody without injury to himself or officers. He was transported to the Regional Medical Center because "We thought he was acting erratically," the sheriff said.

"It could have been a deadly situation," Williams said. But experienced officers were able to bring the events to a peaceful conclusion, he said.

The events began at 9 a.m. when Stratchum appeared before an Orangeburg County magistrate on a S.C. Forestry Commission charge of arson or illegally disposing of trash, Williams said. When he was fined $1,500, he walked out of the courtroom while proceedings were ongoing, he said.

The Forestry Commission officers went to Stratchum's home to serve a magistrate's warrant, while the Sheriff's Office also sought him. At 4 p.m., they got a call that he had returned home.

After officers told Stratchum they had a warrant against him, he told them he had explosives and would ignite himself and everyone there, Williams said.

"The officers stood down and the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office tactical and SWAT units were called and responded," Williams said. Sheriff's Office negotiators also arrived.

Orangeburg Department of Public Safety and Forestry Commission officers also responded, in addition to approximately 10 OCSO officials on the scene. Two fire trucks and two ambulances also responded, with one fire truck blocking access to the dead-end street while the standoff was ongoing.

"After a 90-minute negotiation, the suspect was taken without harm and taken to the Regional Medical Center," Williams said.

Jermaine Thompson, who identified himself as Stratchum's son, said the whole incident stemmed from someone reporting his father was burning tires. He says his father didn't burn any tires.

The fine "is a lot to pay for burning tires -- and he didn't even do it," Thompson said. He said the events "put a lot of stress on him."

Ultimately, Thompson said "I'm glad my daddy is all right. ... I'm glad they didn't rough him up."

City Editor Gene Crider can be reached at gcrider@timesanddemocrat.com and 803-533-5570. To comment on this and other stories, visit TheTandD.com.

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