ORANGEBURG, S.C. — A man is in jail on a charge of attempted murder following an incident last Friday on South Carolina State University's campus that led to him also getting injured.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said 27-year-old Tyrik Willie Joe Pressley III was taken to the hospital for treatment and then later booked into jail. He's charged by South Carolina State University Police with attempted murder, failure to stop for a blue light, no injury or death first offense.
According to SLED, SC State police said they encountered Pressley trying to drive onto campus Friday. An arrest warrant from SC State Police said Pressley didn't stop for officers who tried to pull over his car, and that he was driving at a high rate of speed through campus and made several turns to try and get away from them.
Neither SLED nor SC State's warrant makes clear why the pursuit started.
At one point, the warrant states Pressley drove in the direction of someone in "an obvious attempt to murder the victim." SLED said that part of the encounter happened near the school's football stadium. Neither SLED's report nor the warrant states exactly who victim was but the warrant said Pressley pointed a gun in the direction of the person.
SLED said moments later, an SC State officer fired a shot at Pressley's car. Agents said the suspect got a graze wound, but it wasn't clear if that was from the bullet or other material.
No officers were injured. South Carolina Police then requested SLED to get involved in the investigation since it involved one of their officers.
A university spokesperson confirmed to News19 that Pressley graduated from SC State in 2019.
SLED said this is the 12th shooting involving an officer in South Carolina this year but the first involving South Carolina State University Police.