Fort Mill hotel guest swung from balcony, invaded room of off-duty cop, police say

An Alabama man is charged with assault and battery and property crimes after police say he pushed into a hotel room occupied by an armed off-duty police officer.

Ryan Lee Sykes, 27, of Huntsville, Ala., was charged with assault and battery and two malicious damage to property crimes. He is accused of pushing the officer’s wife and breaking the sliding door and a lamp in his hotel room, according to a York County Sheriff’s Office report.

Deputies responded to the Clarion Hotel around 7:30 p.m. Friday on a disorderly conduct call. Sykes had reported to police about 45 minutes earlier that he was “being chased by people with guns in Charlotte,” the report said. Sykes was told to contact Charlotte police, deputies said.

York County dispatchers told officers that Sykes attempted to enter the hotel room of an off-duty police officer from Columbus, Ga., the report states. The off-duty officer was in his room when Sykes pushed the officer’s wife into the room and attempted to get inside, again claiming “There’s guys with guns,” the report states.

The off-duty officer pulled his gun and told Sykes to leave the room, the report states. The officer’s wife called 911, the report states.

York County deputies interviewed Sykes, who claimed that his Charlotte home had been burglarized, the report states.

Deputies found that Sykes’ hotel room, next door to the off-duty officer’s room on the sixth floor, had a broken door and furniture had been barricaded against the door.

Sykes told officers that he had swung from the balcony of his room to the room next door and got into a hallway.

Sykes was released on $3,087.50 bond Sunday, jail officials said.

This story was originally published November 20, 2017 at 3:47 PM with the headline "Fort Mill hotel guest swung from balcony, invaded room of off-duty cop, police say."