‘Lock your doors and stay inside,’ Midlands sheriff says during manhunt

A manhunt ended in Kershaw County Thursday afternoon after the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office captured four people following a crash.

The manhunt began after an SUV driver led law enforcement on a chase, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. The vehicle pursuit ended when the SUV crashed on Buck Hill Road, according to the release. That’s in the Ridgeway area, near Lake Wateree.

There were four people in the SUV, and all of them ran from the crashed vehicle into the woods near Lake Road, the sheriff’s office said.

As of 1:35 p.m., all four had been taken into custody, according to the sheriff’s office.

During the search there was a heavy law enforcement presence in the area that included deputies as well as members of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina Highway Patrol, according to the release. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s helicopter was also used to search the area, the sheriff’s office said.

Police dogs and a drone were also believed to be used in the search, according to the release.

“If you live in the area… please lock your home and vehicle doors and stay inside,” the sheriff’s office said during the search. After announcing the fourth person had been taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said the area had been cleared.

The sheriff’s office said the pursuit began because the occupants of the SUV were wanted for multiple property crimes in multiple counties, WIS reported.

Messages left with the sheriff’s office weren’t immediately returned.

The people taken into custody have not been publicly identified, and there was no word on the charges they are facing.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.