Alleged DUI driver in Bluffton was ‘waving gun’ out of window, witness says
A man charged with driving under the influence had been waving a gun out of his car window while swerving on the highway Saturday evening, a witness told Beaufort County deputies.
The 20-year-old driver from Bluffton was charged Saturday with DUI and driving without a license, inmate records show.
The 911 caller told police he was leaving Hilton Head Island on U.S. 278 (Fording Island Road) when the suspect waved a gun at him from his vehicle’s window. The caller declined to pursue charges for pointing and presenting, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office incident report.
After receiving the call around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, deputies found the suspect lying on the ground next to the open driver’s door of his vehicle. Because they had been told a firearm was involved, police approached with their weapons drawn, the report says.
The 20-year-old seemed “dazed and confused” and told deputies he was “just laying down for a little,” according to the police report. Deputies allegedly found a black pistol near the driver’s seat of his vehicle.
Asked to complete field sobriety tests, the suspect reportedly told deputies, “I’m not gonna pass, what do I need to do.” He said it was his birthday and admitted to having two drinks, adding that he had a lawyer, according to the report.
He was taken to the Bluffton Police Department for a breathalyzer test, the report says, which showed he had a blood alcohol concentration of .17.
Deputies confiscated a THC vape found in the driver’s floorboard, the report says, and submitted into evidence the black pistol and a second magazine that was in the vehicle.
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette do not publish the names of individuals who were charged with misdemeanor crimes unless the accused is a public figure or if revealing their name is a matter of public interest.
This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 10:37 AM.
