BERKELEY COUNTY- A man with known mental health issues is dead after a confrontation with police while armed with a hatchet.
On Sunday, October 5, at approximately 7:41 a.m., deputies with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a missing person identified as David Edward Browne. The caller reported that Browne had last been seen around 9:30 p.m. on October 4, 2025, after leaving friends who had attended a bonfire at his residence. The caller further advised that Browne had been off his prescribed medications for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, had displayed paranoid behavior, and had discarded his identification documents and electronic devices. The caller also stated that Browne had previously been reported missing and was located naked along Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania.
At approximately 8:10 a.m., deputies received a separate 911 call reporting that a naked white male armed with a hatchet had attacked a female in her driveway. The suspect struck the victim’s vehicle multiple times, breaking both the driver’s side and rear driver’s side windows. The victim was able to flee the scene and contact 911…