A nasty argument over microwaved fish in a South Carolina police station break room has cost a veteran detective his job and landed him with a felony charge.
A Friday afternoon turned tense when Michael DeBiase showed up at work on May 30, inside the briefing area of the Ted C. Collins building. Though forty-six years old, his role as a detective didn’t stop what came next. Two days later on June 2, 2026 he found himself under arrest. What led there? He’d pointed his duty firearm at a fellow officer. Details emerged about how things unfolded during that shift change.
That day, the air turned sharp with fried fish thanks to a warming session in the office microwave. A patrol officer started it. Then came DeBiase fed up, stepping close, voice tight. Words cracked under pressure. Out came his service weapon, aimed steady at the coworker. The gun stayed silent. Bodies remained unharmed. Heat faded slow after that standoff.
The department immediately placed DeBiase on administrative leave. After an internal investigation by Office of Professional Standards, working with SLED, he was fired for violating multiple policies.
Statement posted to Facebook on June 2, the Myrtle Beach Police Department said it had “separated employment” with DeBiase.
“This incident does not reflect the values demonstrated by the men and women of the Myrtle Beach Police Department every day,”
The department added, emphasizing its commitment to professionalism, integrity, and good judgment.
DeBiase was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Horry County and released later that day after posting a $5,000 surety bond. He now faces a felony charge of pointing or presenting a firearm at another person under South Carolina Code § 16-23-410. His case is being handled by the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, with a court date set for August 14, 2026.
The story blew up online because it hits on something almost everyone can relate to: the eternal office crime of nuking fish in the microwave. While plenty of people online admitted the smell is awful “Fish in the microwave is a cardinal sin” most were stunned that a seasoned detective would respond by pulling a gun.
Out of all this chaos came a flood of internet laughs, yet behind the punchlines sit tough concerns choices made under pressure, who should carry guns, how people answer for their actions when they wear a badge. A coffee pause does not erase duty; calm heads matter just as much there as anywhere else on patrol.
This story hits hard, showing how quickly things spiral when anger takes over whether you carry authority or not.
