A 66-year-old Arkansas man who allegedly drove his car through an outer gate at Duke Power’s Oconee nuclear plant in South Carolina and tried to run over security staff was arrested and charged with attempted murder, local law enforcement said over the weekend.
Doyle Wayne Whisenhunt, of Lockesburg, Ark., was arrested Saturday evening, at an abandoned home, in Pickens County, S.C., by the Pickens County Sheriff’s Department, according to a news release, from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Department. Whisenhunt was then turned over to the Oconee County, S.C., Sheriff’s Department and taken back to Oconee County, where he was jailed, according to the release.
Whisenhunt was booked on one count each of attempted murder, malicious injury to personal property, and unlawful entry into an enclosed place, according to the release. The suspect is accused of driving a silver 2002 Toyota Camry, towards a Duke Energy security guard, while on the outer grounds of the nuclear station on Friday evening. The Camry was subsequently recovered at the home in Pickens County.
Whisenhunt damaged nuclear plant gates and fences, outside of the plant’s secured area by striking them with his vehicle, according to the press release, which cites the arrest warrants. “Whisenhunt also trespassed onto the property of the nuclear station without authorization.”
In its original press release on Saturday, the local sheriff’s department said shortly after 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday Whisenhunt allegedly drove through the exit side of the main entrance administrative gate. The driver breached the administrative gate but did not breach the secure area of the facility itself.
Televised news reports in South Carolina and nationally, said pop-up barriers were triggered when the car was driven through the administrative gate.
An Internet search indicates the Oconee nuclear plant is less than three hours drive from the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina and less than four hours from the Oak Ridge Site in Tennessee.
Whisenhunt allegedly drove into Pickens County, followed by a security officer, according to the sheriff’s department.
“Shots were fired by a property owner on Jones Mill Road,” according to the Oconee Sheriff’s release. “No shots were fired on the property of the Oconee Nuclear Station nor did any security officers or law enforcement discharge their weapons. “
“We are aware of that incident, but for operational security reasons we don’t comment about adjustments to our security posture unless they impact the public,” said a spokesperson for DOE’s Office of Environmental Management.
