Aiken County deputies shot an armed suspect in the chest Thursday night after stopping his carjacking attempt, authorities said.
The suspect, 24-year-old Cameron Duncan, was taken in stable condition to a Georgia hospital for medical treatment. SLED is investigating.
The violent encounter with the suspect began at 11:22 p.m. Thursday at a public safety checkpoint on Anear Street in Graniteville.
“When deputies approached the driver of the pickup, he sped away from the stop,” sheriff’s Capt. Eric Abdullah said in a press release. “Deputies pursued the pickup truck where the driver, a White male, stopped on Trolley Line Road near Morningside Drive. The driver got out of the truck armed with a shotgun where he attempted to carjack a passing motorist.”
When confronted by deputies, the suspect pointed his weapon at the deputies and they fired at him. The wounded suspect then ran away.
The suspect was found by the Aiken Bloodhound Tracking Team hiding in a shed in the 3000 block of Seneca Avenue, injured from a gunshot wound to his upper left chest.
Authorities say Duncan was in a stolen vehicle and had an outstanding warrant for breach of trust. He was also on probation after getting out early last September on a 5-year prison sentence for a stolen vehicle and other crimes. He was arrested in 2016 for a chop shop violation, which was quickly pled down to receiving stolen property and he was released on time served.
As a matter of policy in officer-involved shootings, the sheriff’s office asked for an independent investigation by the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
