Man who wanted ‘blaze of glory’ sentenced for taking hostages at SC government office
A Newberry man who said he wanted to go out in a “blaze of glory” after taking five people hostage was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday, according to the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
A jury convicted 42-year-old Ricky Bernard Brown, and Judge Donald Hocker sentenced him for kidnapping and gun possession offenses.
Hocker ordered no parole for Brown, who authorities described as a dangerous, violent man with an extensive criminal past.
“What should have been a peaceful October afternoon in Newberry turned into a nightmare that our five survivors will never forget,” Solicitor David Stumbo said in a statement. “I am pleased that Ricky Brown will spend the rest of his natural life in prison with no chance of parole. My office will continue to do everything in our power to keep our families and citizens safe from these violent criminals.”
Brown had indicated that he was suffering from a mental health issue when he took the hostages, according to The Newberry Observer.
The South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Center on Evans Street in Newberry is a squat, brown-brick building that has the unadorned look of a government office. It flies the state and United States flag outside. The center helps people with disabilities and other issues find work.
On Oct. 2, 2019, at about 1:15 pm, Brown entered the office armed with a handgun, authorities said. He shot a bullet into the ceiling. He was “intent on taking hostages,” the solicitor’s office said.
Brown had been coming into the center for services, authorities said. He held five employees hostages. One of them was his case worker. While Brown held them, someone was able to call police.
Brown told his hostages he would not leave until police came inside the building, police later wrote in a report, according to WACH. He also threatened to shoot himself if officers did not respond.
Officers from the Newberry Police Department and the county sheriff’s office rushed to the scene
Two of the hostages were able to escape through a rear door when police arrived, authorities said. Police set up a perimeter around the building and began negotiating with Brown to release the hostages. During the negotiations, two other hostages got out of the building, according to authorities.
Newberry police called for assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which deployed its SWAT unit.
After an hour of negotiations with police, Brown released the last hostage. The SWAT unit rushed the building and Brown fired four shots into the walls and ceiling before police took him into custody, Fox Carolina reported.
No police officers or hostages were physically hurt during the entire incident.
Police took Brown to a hospital. While there, Brown told investigators that he “intended to go out in a ‘blaze of glory’ during a shootout with police,” the solicitor’s office said.
Officers jailed Brown at the Newberry County Detention Center, records show. At a bond hearing, he said he was “trying to get some mental health,” news outlets reported.
“That’s what I need,” he said.
After the hearing Brown told an officer that he should have shot the officer, outlets reported.
“’You should have been on the front lines. I should have shot you in your (expletive) face,’” The Newberry Observer reported.
A judge denied Brown bond.
Deputy Solicitor Dale Scott and Senior Assistant Solicitor Taylor Daniel prosecuted the case, with assistance from Eighth Circuit Investigator Walter Bentley and Victim Advocate Rhetta Smith.
Charles Verner of the Newberry Public Defender’s Office represented Brown.
Hocker sentenced Brown under South Carolina’s “two strike” law, which requires judges to impose a no-parole life sentence if a person is convicted of a second “most serious” offense. Kidnapping is a most serious offense in the SC code of laws.
In 1998, Brown pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, according to court records and the solicitor’s office. Manslaughter is also considered a most serious crime.
In April 2019, police charged Brown with attempted murder during an armed robbery. But prosecutors dropped the charges for lack of sufficient evidence, according to court records.
The State has reached out to the public defender’s office that represented Brown for comment.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 2:23 PM.