No bond for man charged with attempted murder of officer

A Horry County magistrate denied bond Sunday for the man shot by a Myrtle Beach Police officer after a shootout Friday night.

The judge called 28-year-old Nigel Anthony Sylvester a “danger of flight and a danger to the community,” at the hearing in Conway.

The judge ordered Sylvester to have no contact with the officer following the hearing.

Sylvester is in the US on a work visa, according to court records.

Sylvester was charged in 2001 with threatening to kill an officer and harassment in New Jersey, according to court records.

Sylvester said the incident with the New jersey officer happened after he was asked to leave his brother’s high school in 2001, “One officer said I threatened to kill him cause I went to my brother’s school, and the cop, he run us because I had red on black, and they was taking it as a gang and he ran us off. Then I came back after school and then he was like, you violating my law. I did not run and he arrest me, put me in jail,” Sylvester told the judge Sunday.

A New Jersey judge sentenced Sylvester to one year probation, the suspect told the court Sunday.

Myrtle Beach Police charged Sylvester with assault and battery with intent to kill and resisting arrest with a deadly weapon after a traffic stop Friday night.

Officer Jeff Thomas was on patrol Friday and pulled Sylvester over at the Carolina Breeze Apartments located at 100 Cedar Street after he saw Sylvester driving “erratically,” according to court records.

Sylvester got out of his Jeep Cherokee with a Strum Ruger .223 caliber assault rifle and fired several shots at Thomas, according to arrest warrants.

Investigators said Sylvester his Thomas’ car with multiple bullets near the driver’s side and caused minor injuries to the officer.

Thomas, a four year MBPD veteran, fired back and hit Sylvester twice in the groin with his .45 caliber department-issued handgun, according to the court.

The shootout happened just before 11 p.m. Friday.

Emergency dispatchers fielded several calls to reports of gunfire in the area of 3rd Avenue South and Ocean Boulevard, according to Myrtle Beach Police Captain David Knipes.

Shortly after, Thomas spotted Sylvester’s SUV driving “erratically” and initiated a traffic stop, according to Knipes.

As Sylvester stepped out of his SUV, a black male passenger wearing dark clothing ran from the SUV toward Cedar Street, responding officer Private First Class Charles Robert Gillians write in his report.

When Gillians arrived on the scene he saw Thomas standing over a “motionless” Sylvester lying on the ground, Gillians reported.

Medics took Thomas to the Grand Strand Regional Medical Center with minor injuries, and then later released Thomas.

Sylvester was treated for the gunshot wounds, then later booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center a little more than 10 hours later.

The search continues for the second suspect and the State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting.

Officer Thomas remains on administrative duty as the investigation into the shooting continues.

Sylvester’s next court appearance is set for May.