Suspect leads South Congaree officer on chase

South Congaree, SC (Paul Kirby) – A suspect fled from a traffic stop on Friday afternoon in the town of South Congaree and led officers on a chase just west of the town.

According to Chief Josh Shumpert of the South Congaree Police Department, Officer Stone tried to stop the suspect’s vehicle when the driver initiated a chase. Officers from other agencies responded to assist as the pursuit went out into the county.

Eventually, the fleeing suspect went down Princeton Road and bailed out on a small road close to the backside of the Heatherwood subdivision. He then ran into the woods and continued trying to elude capture on foot.

By this time, K-9’s from Lexington County arrived on scene with their handlers and were deployed on the man’s scent. They eventually tracked him back over to Chapel Road where he was taken into custody.

Shumpert says that the man appeared to be tossing small packages out of his window during the chase. His department is reviewing the dashcam footage to see if they can pinpoint what and where those objects are and if they can be recovered.

At this point, the man has been charged with failure to yield to a blue light. Additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation continues.