Early morning standoff leads to Prosperity man’s arrest

NEWBERRY — A Prosperity man has been taken into custody after a domestic violence incident at a home on St. Phillips Church Road on Jan. 27, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office announced last week.

Fifty-year-old Kenneth Coffey is currently being held at the Newberry County Detention Center on charges of domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, kidnapping, and possession of a weapon by a person prohibited.

According to a social media post from the Sheriff’s Office, Newberry County 911 received a call at around 1 a.m. from a female outside the state of South Carolina. She reported that her friend was being assaulted by a man, later identified as Coffey, and that he was also holding a second female inside the residence against her will with a firearm.

While continuing communication with the caller, officers relayed instructions to the initial victim who was able to climb out of a window and escape. Coffey and the second victim remained inside the home.

Officers learned he was armed with multiple weapons and had placed a weapon to the head of both victims – he also placed the gun to his own head.

The Newberry County Sheriff’s Office Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) was activated, along with assistance from a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) K-9 unit.

Contact was established with Coffey, who briefly came to the door before going back inside the residence to get a long firearm. At around 4 a.m., Coffey was taken into custody by SLED K-9 and CIRT members.

He was transported by Newberry County EMS to an area trauma center for treatment. Both victims were also treated for injuries sustained during the assault.

Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster commended the Newberry County 911 Telecommunicators for keeping the caller on the line and extracting critical information that assisted in rescuing the victim and ensuring deputy safety. Foster also praised the responding deputies and SLED agents for their professionalism and dedication while operating in temperatures in the teens.