In Abbeville County, South Carolina, a fellow named Arthur Bixby barricaded himself in his house and unloaded on the cops who were trying to serve a warrant on him. The standoff is now over. Bixby is hospitalized in critical condition, while his son and wife are in custody, and two officers are dead.
How did this all begin? The SC Dept. of Transportation wanted 10 feet of his front yard to widen a highway.
It’s rare, but not unheard of, for someone to force the state to the logical conclusions of its eminent domain claims. As for me, I’d pick a different hill to die on, and this guy probably has mental problems, but it’s an interesting demonstration of state power nonetheless.
