Suspect killed in shoot-out with Beaufort County deputies following car chase in Bluffton
A high-speed chase that ensued after a suspect fled from authorities in Bluffton ended with a car crash and a fatal shooting of the suspect late Saturday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office had initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle on May River Road near Red Cedar Street near downtown Bluffton.
The vehicle was driven by a subject who had an active felony warrant for his arrest, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The vehicle failed to stop for blue lights and a pursuit ensued.
Deputies had chased the same subject yesterday. In that case, the pursuit was terminated.
Saturday’s chase ended when the suspect’s vehicle collided with a tree and fence near the entrance to The Farm community on Buckwalter Parkway, the Sheriff’s office reported at 4:29 p.m.
An exchange of gunfire followed between Sheriff’s Office deputies and the suspect. The suspect, the Sheriff’s office said, is dead.
The investigation of the incident has been turned over to the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division.
The shooting occurred at Buckwalter Parkway and Farm Lake Drive.
The Facebook page for residents of the Farm at Buckwalter, a large neighborhood off of Buckwalter Parkway, reported that Bluffton police, the Sheriff’s Office and Highway Patrol were on the scene. A person who lives in the vicinity reported hearing 10 to 20 shots fired.
The Sheriff’s Office alerted the public at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
