After shootout with Chester SC officer, person found dead, officials say
A person who had exchanged fire with South Carolina police during a chase has been found dead, officials said.
The name of the person who died has not been released; police only said he was male. Details about how he died remain unclear and have not been released.
The person was found dead after 7 p.m. in rural Chester County near Interstate 77 and S.C. 9, said Grant Suskin, spokesman for the Chester County Sheriff’s Office.
He had been shot, Suskin said.
“We know that there was gunfire between the person and our deputy, and the person was later found dead,” Suskin said.
The incident started after 6 p.m. in Lancaster County where the person fired at Lancaster deputies, Suskin said. It was not clear if the deputies returned fire.
The person fled in a vehicle into Chester County, Suskin said. In Chester County, after the vehicle wrecked, he fired more shots at law enforcement officers, Suskin said.
At least one deputy in Chester County returned fire, Suskin said.
The suspect then ran away, Suskin said. Officers from the S.C. Highway Patrol, Fort Lawn Police Department, State Law Enforcement Division, and sheriff’s offices from Chester and Lancaster then began a search, Suskin said.
Much of S.C. 9 in the area remains closed as police and other emergency officials remain at what police said were multiple crime scenes, Suskin said.
SLED is leading the investigation because of the involvement of deputies from both the Lancaster and Chester sheriff’s offices.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
This story was originally published January 3, 2021 at 8:43 PM with the headline "After shootout with Chester SC officer, person found dead, officials say."
