Bridge Standoff: Delays Abound, Questions Emerge

Traffic is returning to normal tonight after a 3-hour standoff on the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, between police and a man threatening to harm himself, ended without incident.

Now, details are emerging about Phillip DeClemente, the man at the center of the standoff. Apparently federal authorities searched DeClemente’s home on Thursday evening, according to WCBD-TV. It wasn’t clear what was recovered.

The bizarre scene unfolded after 3 p.m. Thursday when DeClemente apparently backed his Lexus SUV into the guard rail on the northbound side of the bridge. Scrawled on the vehicle’s windows were messages such as “Game Over," "Stay Away," and "Happy Now," bystanders said.

Two hours later, police stormed the vehicle and placed DeClemente, 38, in custody. Police have only said DeClemente was “troubled” and that they would get him the help that he needed. He apparently only made threats to harm himself, according to the Charleston City Paper.

Neighbors say the once-decorated volunteer rescue worker had recently fallen on hard times and was selling many of the possessions in his home near the upscale Park West subdivision in Mount Pleasant, WCBD reports.

On the professional social network LinkedIn, DeClemente lists the healthcare equipment provider Abacare as his employer. On Twitter, under the handle @pdeclemente, he listed himself as "Rescue Diver, EMT, Swiftwater Technician, Rescue Tech and Healthcare Manager."

In 2002, DeClemente was commended by the Charleston County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad for heroic efforts that saved stranded rescue workers off Seabrook Island, according to a commendation posted online.

DeClemente had not volunteered for the squad in at least a year, according to a statement from Charleston County Spokeswoman Jennie Davis Flinn.

On Twitter, dozens of users called DeClemente by name and blamed him for increasing evening commute times by several hours.

“Phillip Declemente made my drive to class a nightmare,” one user wrote in one of the more kind, expletive-free tweets.

Traffic in Mount Pleasant, Downtown Charleston and even along Interstate 526 moved at a snail’s pace until well past 8 p.m. Thursday. Some motorists simply parked their cars and sat on sidewalks in downtown as police sorted out the standoff scene.

The incident apparently delayed the departure of the P&O cruise ship Oceana, which had a 5 p.m. scheduled departure, but didn’t set sail until 8 p.m. to allow passengers time to return from Mount Pleasant tourist attractions.