“SWAT” activated to effect arrest near Westminster

What started as an attempt by Oconee deputies to carry out an eviction near Westminster turned into a barricade situation and required the deputies to call for assistance from “SWAT”—the special weapons and tactical unit of the sheriff’s office office.  It ended when the man who barricaded himself inside a bathroom on Sigmon Drive near the Old Seneca Road surrendered yesterday afternoon and was taken into custody.  The sheriff’s office today reports the following charges against Devon James Turner:  resisting arrest, malicious injury to property; and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.  At one point, law enforcement notified nearby residents.  According to the sheriff’s office, 30-year old Turner discharged a firearm inside the bathroom, causing damage to the ceiling and roof.  Officers say they confiscated a .40-calibre handgun, along with what was called “a trafficking weight of methamphetamine.”