Augusta-area police standoff ends with suspect’s death
A hostage situation Wednesday ended in a suspect taking his own life at a home in the Augusta area.
Police were called about 11 a.m. to a duplex in the 200 block of West Hugh Street in North Augusta, South Carolina, according to a report by ABC News affiliate WJBF. The suspect, Rodney Bettis, 34, reportedly had a hostage in the home, a woman named Chasity Wright. The police were called after Wright had allegedly been shot at the apartment.
Police negotiated with Bettis for hours, according to WRDW. By about 3:30 p.m., the standoff ended with Bettis’ death by suicide, according to police.
Wright had been shot several times and was released to be treated at a nearby hospital, according to reports.
“We don’t know her condition. We’ve been told she was hit and shot four different times. We hope and pray that she’s going to be OK,” North Augusta Police Department officials said Wednesday.
At The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, we focus primarily on Georgia news, but we also like to provide readers with regional coverage of the Southeast. We cover stories that impact our region, especially in Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina and Mississippi.
Dennis Briatico, who said he is a neighbor, said there are often gunshots in the area where the standoff happened.
"You can hear them at three and four in the morning. We as a neighborhood have complained to the city of North Augusta about this. We'd like to see that broken up and that property have something else done with it," he told WRDW.
The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, a SWAT team and South Carolina state troopers were sent to the scene after authorities received the initial report.
About the Author
Stephanie has been telling stories her whole life. Her interest in the written word started with short stories and journal entries about run-ins with classroom bullies as a child and matured to writing for her high school newspaper over the years. She has written and edited for The Tennessean, Augusta Chronicle and American City & County.
