The Newberry County Sheriff’s Office responded to a serious domestic violence standoff early Tuesday morning in Newberry, South Carolina. Kenneth Coffey, 50, of Prosperity, was arrested and charged with domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, kidnapping, and possession of a weapon by a prohibited person; he remains in custody at the Newberry County Detention Center.
Incident Details
A 911 call came in around 2 a.m. from a woman outside South Carolina reporting that her friend was being assaulted by Coffey, who was holding a woman at gunpoint inside a home on St. Phillips Church Road. Deputies secured the area, maintained contact via the caller, and safely extracted the first victim through a window. Coffey, armed with multiple guns, threatened both victims and himself inside with a second victim.
Response and Resolution
The Sheriff’s Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) and a SLED K-9 unit were deployed amid cold teens temperatures. Coffey briefly appeared at the door, retrieved a long gun, and was taken into custody around 4 a.m. All parties— Coffey and both victims— received medical treatment for injuries; the case is under investigation.
Sheriff’s Recognition
Sheriff Lee Foster praised 911 telecommunicators for extracting key details from the caller, enabling the rescue and deputy safety, and commended deputies and SLED for their professional handling of the volatile situation.
