Darrel Abbey, 38, of Palm City is now facing three criminal charges including a felony and has been booked at the Martin County Jail with his total bond set at $12,500 following a Saturday SWAT standoff during which he threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and her stepfather, fired shots outside his home, and barricaded himself in a guest house for hours. The Martin County Sheriff's Office has not released details of the specific charges or publicly explained how the standoff was resolved.
Deputies were called to a residence on Southwest Bessey Creek Trail near Murphy Road on Saturday following reports of shots fired outside the home. Additional calls indicated the incident was domestic-related and involved an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the sheriff's office.
Abbey threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and her stepfather, then fired shots at a bucket hanging from a tree before attempting to destroy evidence, according to the arrest report. He then barricaded himself inside a guest house at the property.
The sheriff's office described Abbey as armed and dangerous and said he was contained inside the residence. Road patrol deputies, detectives, SWAT and the Hostage Negotiation Team all responded to the scene. The sheriff's office asked people to avoid the area until further notice during the hours-long standoff.