OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. — A warrant has been issued for a man's arrest after a traffic stop led to gunfire and a chase through two South Carolina counties on Monday.
The State Law Enforcement Division said on Tuesday that it was investigating after the chase, which began in Cherokee County. The agency reports that deputies were attempting to stop a vehicle when the pursuit began.
"The suspect fired at deputies several times during the pursuit which expanded into Pickens County," SLED spokesperson Tommy Crosby.
Ultimately, the driver, later identified as Christopher Lee O'Donald of Seneca, abandoned his vehicle and ran. As of Tuesday morning, he remained at large.
Crosby said there were reported injuries in the gunfire.
SLED is now handling the investigation of the shooting as an independent investigating agency. It will next provide its findings in a case file report that will be submitted to prosecutors.
The agency reports that this is the 24th shooting involving one or more officers that it has investigated in 2021. SLED investigated 49 in 2020 - none of which involved the Oconee County Sheriff's Office.
