NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A photo circulating on social media showing a North Myrtle Beach officer holding what appears to be a shotgun is a less-than-lethal shotgun used for special situations, the department said Saturday on social media.
“The firearm shown is a less-than-lethal shotgun, a tool carried by trained officers to provide additional options for safely managing rapidly evolving situations while reducing the likelihood that deadly force will be necessary,” the department’s Facebook post reads.
The rapidly evolving situation in question happened when officers responded at about 10:15 p.m. Friday to the area of 14th Avenue S. and Ocean Boulevard after receiving numerous 911 calls about a large fight involving several hundred people and the use of fireworks, according to police. When officers arrived, they encountered a “chaotic scene with large groups running in multiple directions, fighting, and creating significant public safety concerns.”…