Bullet-resistant vest saves police officer shot in chest, South Carolina cops say
A police officer in Charleston was shot in the chest during a gunfight early Tuesday, but survived due to his bullet-resistant vest, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
The suspect died in the exchange of gunfire, state officials said.
Identities of the officer and the suspect have not been released. No other police were injured, officials said.
The incident occurred around 3:15 a.m. when a woman called Charleston police and asked for help with “a disturbance and domestic violence incident” at the Bridge View Apartments, according to police. Children were present and the family was being threatened by someone with a weapon, city officials said.
“CPD officers were dispatched and, upon arrival, became involved in an altercation with a subject where gunshots were reportedly exchanged,” Charleston officials said in a release.
“Several CPD officers were involved and tragically one of our officers was shot in the chest. Thankfully his life was saved by his ballistic vest. ... Unfortunately one subject is deceased at the scene.”
The wounded officer was taken to a hospital for treatment and later released with “minor injuries,” officials said.
Investigators say the suspect killed at the scene was “associated with the initial call.”
Five officers were involved and police officials have not said who fired the fatal shot, or how many times the suspect was struck.
SLED will conduct an “independent investigation” of the incident, which is routine when law enforcement officers are involved in shootings.
The shooting comes at a time of heightened public scrutiny of fatal encounters between police and Black suspects, and city leaders called a press conference Tuesday to pledge transparency in the investigation and accountability for the findings. All five of the officers involved were white, and the suspect was Black, officials said.
“We want to work together through this investigation. We have work to do. I have questions and we will eventually get all the answers and will share that with the public. We want to get this right,” Police Chief Luther Reynolds said during the press conference.
There have been 49 “officer involved shootings” in the state this year, SLED reports. “It is the second this year involving Charleston Police Department. In 2019, there were 45 officer involved shootings in South Carolina; none involved the Charleston Police Department.”
The Bridge View Apartments are in the northern end of the Charleston peninsula, in the Wagener Terrace area. It is listed as an “affordable housing/tax credit community” with “income restrictions,” according to Apartments.com.
This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Bullet-resistant vest saves police officer shot in chest, South Carolina cops say."