Man accused of pulling out pistol at Florence motel after argument with clerk, sheriff says

Taylor Ford
·1 min read

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly pulling out a pistol and waving it around a Florence motel lobby after an argument happened with the motel’s clerk, Florence County Sheriff T.J. Joye said.

Gerald Wayne Powell Jr. of Timmonsville was charged with resisting arrest with violence, assault and battery third degree, possession of a firearm during a violent crime, and pointing and presenting a firearm.

Powell reportedly got angry with the clerk at the Knights Inn on West Lucas Street and an argument started. Powell then waved a pistol in the lobby and around the motel and did not comply with law enforcement when they arrived, Joye said.

Deputies had to fight Powell to get the gun from him.

“Thankfully no one was hurt, and we didn’t have to shoot him to get the gun from him,” Joye said.

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Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13’s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylor’s work here.

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