Hikers (Coast Guard members) Hogtie Man Who Attempted To Take Them Hostage

Johnson City Press ^ | 6/13/12 | Brad Hicks

[Brent in TN]

ERWIN, TN — Unicoi County Sheriff Mike Hensley said the outcome of arrest could have been much worse for a Roan Mountain man taken into custody earlier this week after he allegedly picked the wrong group of hikers to attempt to take hostage. Marcus F. Birchfield, 40, 962 Hampton Creek Road, Roan Mountain, was arrested by the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department and charged with four counts of aggravated kidnapping, impersonating a police officer, going armed, possession of a schedule II drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

[Steely Tom]

Google Images has a picture of Mr. Marcus F. Birchfield.

He looks like he might be related to the banjo player in Deliverance.

[ClearCase_guy]

[katana]

Mr. Birchfeld's nephews, Clem and T'uther Clem, posted the $75 thousand bond.

[bboop]

Oh, definitely, that picture tells the whole story.

[golux]

There are some very revealing comments in the comments section under the story.

Well I never thought I’d say this but it’s a good thing the USCG was up on that mountain. In the words of the great egalitarian gunny: Semper Paratus! Ooo-RAH!

[dblshot]

Explains this; and ordered them to get down on their hands and knees

[Steely Tom]

Explains this; and ordered them to get down on their hands and knees

Yeah, just after one of them said "what do you require of us?"

[gunnut]

Don’t like the article saying that they “sucker punched” the perp. When someone has you at gunpoint, that is far from a sucker punch.

[ArrogantBustard]

Coasties kick kidnapper’s kiester!

[Tax-chick]

Very weird situation. Stay armed, stay safe!

[a fool in paradise]

He looks like a gay, chipper, fellow.

[a fool in paradise]

Unicoi County officials took Birchfield into custody early Tuesday morning. Hensley said Birchfield had the “strong odor of intoxicant about his person” when officers arrived at the scene. He was found also to be in possession of a bottle containing oxycodone and a sniffing straw, according to the arrest report. Hensley also said the 9 mm handgun in Birchfield’s possession was fully loaded.

Perhaps to dope up his potential rape victims?

[a fool in paradise]

“He’s very lucky that one of the hikers didn’t kill him, and if we had pulled up there on the scene and he would have been holding all these guys at gunpoint, we could have been forced to have to do something,” Hensley said. “But luckily it all worked out. It was a good ending. Nobody got hurt.”

Tag and release.

What an embarrassment.

Birchfield was arraigned Wednesday in Unicoi County Sessions Court and was released from jail after posting a $75,000 corporate bond. He is scheduled to again appear in Sessions Court next Thursday.

[Anoreth]

Good thing 90 percent of the coast guard are real law enforcement officers.

[ArrogantBustard]

Be polite. Be professional. Be prepared to kill anyone you meet ...

[Tax-chick]

True.

[Tax-chick]

Sounds like something from Assassin’s Creed.

[BobL]

Now if I were posting to the local newspaper, I would have attacked the victims for being vigilantes and then signed my reply as something like “Sincerely yours, President Obama”.

[Rebelbase]

Mental issues caused by electrocution and probably drug addiction. Comment below the article:

4:06 PM

For the record, this man is a part of my family. He is a very good man. He’s a father of 2, and he was head pastor of a church (until this happened obviously). Owns his own company, very liked throughout community. He was very badly injured a few years back....electricuted, he shouldnt even be alive at this point. But through Gods grace he survived. He had a lot of damage, has seizures on a regular basis. Their home burned down on Christmas eve. This doesnt excuse what has happened. that was stupid, dangerous and scary. But, he’s not all mentally intact anymore. His accident caused more problems than anyone could imagine. So, before people go on here and judge someone for things....maybe ya’ll should pray about the situation. Pray and thank God no one got hurt. Thank God he held military people up instead of women and kids. Thank God those men knew what to do in order to not make things worse. Those men are trained for this stuff. Im not saying he needs to go un-punished, but he needs help, prayers, instead fo judgement. Im angry w/ him, but his family doesnt need all this. His oldest son graduates tonight....pray for their family.

Read more: http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=100221#ixzz1xirRRURT