Naked man with gun arrested after hours-long standoff, SC sheriff says

A naked man armed with a gun who broke into a neighbor’s home was arrested after an hours-long standoff with law enforcement officers that involved the use of tear gas and a police robot, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

Rashae Lamar Allen Jr., 21, was charged with multiple crimes following the incident that started Monday afternoon before he was taken into custody early Tuesday morning, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Allen is accused of forcing his way into a home on Tidwell Town Road about 5 p.m., according to the release. That’s in Cassatt, about 12 miles north of Camden.

Allen was nude and armed with a handgun when he broke in and attacked a resident, the sheriff’s office said.

Although he’s accused of biting the resident, Allen was forced out the home by his neighbor, who was then able to lock the door, according to the release.

As Allen ran away, he fired at least three shots from the pistol before barricading himself inside his nearby home, the sheriff’s office said.

Shortly after, Kershaw County deputies and South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers surrounded the home and negotiators tried to call Allen out with a PA system, according to the release. Allen refused to communicate or leave the residence, the sheriff’s office said.

After hours of unsuccessful negotiations, deputies fired tear gas inside the home, but Allen still refused to exit or communicate, according to the release.

A South Carolina Law Enforcement Division robot was then sent inside the home but was unable to find Allen, the sheriff’s office said.

It was during a search under the home that deputies made contact with Allen, and more tear gas was used, according to the release.

That caused Allen to exit the opposite side of the home, where he was arrested by deputies, the sheriff’s office said.

Allen was treated at the scene by EMS and taken to an area hospital with very minor injuries before he was booked at the Kershaw County Detention Center.

No other injuries were reported by the sheriff’s office.

Information on a motive was not available.

After the 8-hour long standoff, Allen was charged with first-degree burglary, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and is also being held on outstanding warrants from other agencies. As of Tuesday morning, no bond had been set and Allen remains behind bars, jail records show.

In addition to the sheriff’s office, Highway Patrol and SLED, Kershaw County Fire Service, and Kershaw County EMS assisted law enforcement during the incident.

“Great multi-agency teamwork led to the safe arrest of this violent offender,” Sheriff Lee Boan said in the release. “It is always good when a dangerous incident like this can end safely for everyone, even the suspect.”

Allen is facing several pending charges from previous arrests, Kershaw County court records show.

On March 25, Allen was arrested on a count of second-degree domestic violence.

In April 2019, Allen was charged with second-degree domestic violence, resisting arrest, domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, and kidnapping.

Information on when he would appear in court again on either the 2019 or 2021 charges was not available.