Bluffton police arrest armed and dangerous man after Thursday manhunt in Old Town area
Police have arrested Bluffton resident Anthony R. Barnhill after a manhunt across the Old Town area, the Bluffton Police Department announced just after 3 p.m. Thursday. Bluffton police had sent an advisory message Thursday morning asking for the public’s help in locating Barnhill, who had reportedly fought and fled from officers in two separate incidents earlier this week.
Barnhill was charged late Thursday night with third-degree assault and battery, reckless driving and resisting arrest, jail records show. As of 11:30 a.m. Friday, he was being held at the Beaufort County Detention Center on a $6,527.50 cash bond.
The 34-year-old was initially wanted on a charge of assault involving someone he knew, said department spokesperson Sgt. Bonifacio Perez. When officers tried to detain Barnhill Tuesday evening at the Nickelpumpers gas station, Barnhill resisted, speeding through the Bluffton Road traffic circle, disregarding stop signs and possibly side-swiping another vehicle, Perez said.
Officers spotted Barnhill again just before 9 p.m. Wednesday at Taylor Warehouses of Bluffton, Perez said. Police say they saw what might have been a weapon in his hands as Barnhill fled on foot.
Barnhill was wanted on charges of assault and battery, resisting arrest and reckless driving stemming from the Tuesday evening incident. Although he has primarily been violent with people he knows, Perez said Barnhill’s aggressive and unpredictable behavior with law enforcement led Bluffton officers to consider the man armed and dangerous.
Police say Barnhill is 6-foot-2 and weighs about 200 pounds. He is known to frequent Old Town Bluffton, according to the Thursday morning press release.
The car Barnhill used to flee from officers Tuesday was eventually recovered and returned to the man’s father, Perez told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. Police say Barnhill may not currently have access to a vehicle.
This story was originally published July 13, 2023 at 11:31 AM.
