Deputy shot 3 times, passenger killed during confrontation at traffic stop, SC cops say

The passenger of a car opened fire during a traffic stop and was killed by deputies, according to South Carolina police.

A deputy with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office stopped the vehicle just before 3:45 p.m. on May 7 on Savannah Highway near Ravenel, according to a news release from the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. A second deputy came soon after to provide backup.

During the stop, the vehicle’s passenger began shooting at the deputies and struck one of them, the release says. They fired back, hitting and killing the passenger, the sheriff’s office said.

The passenger was identified as James Pierce, 28, according to the Charleston County Coroner’s Office.

One of the deputies was shot three times, according to the sheriff’s office. He was released from the hospital after getting treatment for serious but non-life threatening injuries later that night.

The driver of the vehicle was detained, but the sheriff’s office did not identify her.

Both of the deputies involved in the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave, according to protocol, the sheriff’s office said.

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting.

Ravenel is about 20 miles west of Charleston.

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