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Court proceedings began Wednesday for the North Carolina man charged in last week’s violent and potentially deadly gun battle in an Orangeburg neighborhood.
Werner Scott Haddon, of Raleigh, N.C., was formally charged Wednesday after being released from a Columbia hospital where he was treated for at least three gunshot wounds received during a gun battle with police.
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“You have been charged on warrants for burglary-first, two counts of kidnapping, and three counts of assault and battery with intent to kill,” said Orangeburg City Magistrate Barney Houser. “Do you understand these charges?”
“Yes, I do, your Honor,” Haddon replied.
Wednesday marked Haddon’s first court appearance since the confrontation that occurred a little more than a week ago.
Haddon, who turned 49 on Tuesday, had been hospitalized since the early morning shootout with police at a Brookside residence on May 21. After an exchange of gunfire between a man armed with a .40-caliber Glock handgun and several police officers, Haddon was airlifted to Columbia.
Standing alone before the bench, Haddon was informed of his rights, as well as his right to legal counsel.
Houser told the North Carolina man he could not set bond on him because of the nature of the charges, particularly one that carries a potential life sentence.
“Burglary-first carries a potential life in prison,” Houser said. “You understand that?
“Yes, sir, your Honor,” Haddon said.
Without an attorney, Haddon has not had a date for a bond hearing set before a circuit court judge.
However, 1st Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe, who attended Wednesday’s hearing, said afterward he plans to oppose any bond for the accused gunman.
“If we have a bond hearing, I’m going to ask that it be denied due to the seriousness and the severity of these charges,” Pascoe said.
The day after the shooting incident, Haddon underwent surgery to remove at least one bullet lodged in his lower back.
“We’ve had an officer on duty with him at Palmetto Richland hospital,” Orangeburg Department of Public Safety Capt. Mike Adams said. “Once the doctors determined he could be released, a transportation team from this agency picked up the suspect and brought him back to Orangeburg, where he was served” with warrants.
Those warrants against Haddon stem from a brief but intense gun battle between at least three police officers and a man believed to have attempted the kidnapping of an 11-year-old Brookside Drive youth.
The warrants indicate the man forced his way at gunpoint into a home at 175 Brookside, where he grabbed the youth “around the neck and pulled him out of the residence.”
Outside, however, the gunman ran into the police officers, who attempted to use less-than-lethal force due to the presence of the youth.
“The defendant fired at least one shot in the direction of the officers, at which time officers returned fire, neutralizing the threat,” one of the six warrants indicates.
The three ODPS officers involved in the confrontation remain on administrative leave pending a SLED investigation, which is still ongoing.
The 49-year-old is facing a potential life-in-prison sentence on the burglary charge alone. Each kidnapping charge carries a maximum of 30 years, while assault and battery with intent to kill carries a maximum of 20 years.
T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5516.