Man in custody after hours-long standoff with officers in Beaufort, police say
Beaufort police officers and a SWAT team were called in to help sheriff’s deputies Saturday morning during a standoff with a man they say was involved in a sexual assault on Hilton Head.
Donald Veitch II, 59, of Hilton Head was accused of sexually assaulting a woman Thursday at his home on Jonesville Road, police said in a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office alert. After meeting with the woman, police arranged to have Veitch come in for an interview. He never showed up, the alert said.
On Friday, after obtaining warrants for Veitch, police worried that he may try to hurt himself after speaking with him on the phone. When deputies went to the Brotherhood Road house in Beaufort where he was staying, they called in the sheriff’s office SWAT team and officers from the Beaufort Police Department because Veit told them he was armed and would not come outside. After several hours of back-and-forth with police, the SWAT team was able to enter the home around 2 a.m. Saturday and detain him.
Veitch was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for evaluation. When he is medically cleared, Veitch will be charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping, the alert said, and taken to the Beaufort County Detention Center.
As of Sunday morning, Veitch’s name was not listed in the jail log at the detention center.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, help can be reached at the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (800) 656-4673. Or visit the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network site.
