DeClemente Has Lengthy Court Record

The man at the center of Thursday’s standoff on the Ravenel Bridge has a lengthy history of civil and criminal court cases, according to county records.

Phillip DeClemente has a pending restraining order against him filed by David Leaird and DeClemente has, in turn, sought a restraining order against Leaird.

On Thursday, DeClemente engaged police in a 3-hour standoff on the bridge with threats to harm himself. The incident essentially brought traffic to a halt on three major Charleston thoroughfares.

On the windows of his Lexus SUV, which he parked on the bridge, DeClemente had various messages scrawled, and according to media reports, one mentioned the name David.

Police stormed the vehicle around 5 p.m. Thursday, and they have said there were no weapons inside. The 38-year-old DeClemente was placed in custody, but it wasn’t clear if police planned to charge him criminally. Federal authorities were reportedly searching his Mount Pleasant home later that evening.

DeClemente pleaded guilty a year ago to harassment charges and in 2001 he was charged with but not prosecuted for stalking, according to court records.

Neighbors told WCBD-TV that DeClemente had recently fallen on hard times, and court records indicate that, as well. Bank of America filed for foreclosure on his home in October and he has had two civil-court judgements filed against him seeking debt repayment since May 2011.