North Myrtle Beach suspect who shot at cops was previously accused of assaulting his wife

The State Law Enforcement Division charged William Joshua Alston with two counts of attempted murder after Alston fired his Glock 9-millimeter pistol at two North Myrtle Beach police officers attempting to serve him with two active warrants. 

The 40-year-old North Myrtle Beach man is also charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime, possession of anabolic steroids, two counts of first-degree domestic violence, first-degree assault and battery and kidnapping, according to jail records.  

Before his latest charges, Alston had arrests in Horry and Richland counties for obtaining a signature under false pretense and fraudulent checks.

Officers encountered Alston early Thursday morning while attempting to serve active warrants for domestic violence and kidnapping. Alston had previously been accused of assaulting his wife, police reports said.

According to one report, Alston arrived at a Catalina Drive residence that he shared with his wife around 11 a.m. on June 22 and began arguing with her. The victim said Alston hit her in the head and kicked her in the side with his boots.

An officer who arrived at the hospital the next morning wrote in his report that he found the victim with broken ribs, a chest tube and lacerations and bruising on her face and chin. The victim declined to make a voluntary statement and didn’t want to press charges against Alston because she needed his financial support, the report said. 

Officers responded again to Catalina Drive on July 20 to talk to Alston’s wife, who reported that on July 3 her husband entered their house and woke her up by poking her chest with a rifle suppressor, according to a police report. Another adult woman was in the bed also, and the report says Alston pointed a rifle at her. 

The report says Alston told the pair he could have killed them in their sleep and that no one would know because it was dark and his weapons had suppressers. 

Alston’s wife negotiated with him to let their children stay at the other woman’s house if she went and rode with him in his truck, the report said. Officers wrote that Alston’s wife didn’t want to go with him but felt it was the only way to ensure the safety of her children and the other woman.