Deputy Opens Fire on Suspect in Car

One man was taken to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds after a deputy opened fire on the car the man was driving.

The deputy tried to pull the car over on Ashley River road around 2 p.m., according to Sheriff Al Canon. Canon did not specify the reason for the traffic stop, which was initiated at Performance Chiropractic on Ashley River Road.

The car pulled into the Performance Chiropractic parking lot followed by the deputy, however when the deputy left his vehicle the man driving the red four-door Chevy allegedly attempted to run over the officer, prompting him to fire into the front of the oncoming vehicle, Canon said.

Across the street at Shelter Mortgage, Beth Goodman was preparing for a conference call when she heard the shots.

"It sounded like three hammer bangs, and we thought who is banging a sledge hammer now," Goodman said. "We jumped up and ran to the window."

Goodman said she saw a Sheriff's deputy standing on the sidewalk where the parking lot opens back onto Ashley River Road, holstering his gun and speaking into his walkie talkie.

"He jumped into his van and headed off down 61, then about two minutes later he came back and a bunch of other officers showed up," Goodman said.

Goodman and her co-workers said they were glad to hear the Sheriff's Office appaerntly caught the man driving the red car, but when the shooting happened they immediately locked their front door because they didn't know if the officer had done the shooting or if someone had fired on the officer and if that person was still in the area.

"It sounded like three shots to me and that's three too many," Goodman said. "The thing I was worried about the most was a stray shot."

The deputy reported the shots fired at 2:02 p.m., Canon said. The deputy also broadcast the description of the car that was found about 45 minutes later on Juniper Street near White Oak Road in the Ardmoore neighborhood.

Canon said a black male with several gunshot wounds was found a short time later behind a nearby apartment building. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Canon did not release the man's name or any charges he might face. Canon said he wasn't aware of the suspect firing back at the officer and said the man was not armed when found, however he said the suspect had used his vehicle as a deadly weapon in trying to run down the deputy that tried to pull him over.