ANDERSON, S.C. — A shooting in a small South Carolina city involving sheriff’s deputies has left a man dead and a woman injured. Officials also said a police K-9 was killed.
New details show the man who deputies allege “ambushed” them Tuesday night died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head during the incident.
Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride said the deputies were were fired upon from a hill next to a Lowe’s parking lot in Anderson.
McBride said the deputies were searching for two people who ran out of a car after an attempted traffic stop and pursuit. The sheriff said the deputies saw the man with a firearm and then heard a shot.
The deputies returned fire and struck two people.
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A K-9 named Roscoe began tracking the pair, which led deputies to a hill where McBride said the suspects were waiting in an “ambush situation.”
The sheriff said the suspects immediately started firing at deputies. It’s unclear if one or both suspects were shooting.
McBride said a 16-year-old girl was hurt and a K-9 Roscoe was shot by the suspects.
“Roscoe made it through the night, and we were seemingly positive, but then he had a rough morning and ultimately succumbed to his injuries”, McBride said. “He was a very good canine and this is a huge loss for our unit.”
McBride said Roscoe was a 3 and a half-year-old German Shepherd who had been working with the department since August 2018.
No deputies were injured in the shootout.
Wednesday morning, the coroner identified the man who died as 21-year-old Bryant Keith Hamilton of Greer. The name of the woman has not been released.
The county coroner said Thursday that Hamilton also had three gunshot wounds to lower extremities fired by the deputies.
The state’s investigative law enforcement agency is investigating. At least two of the deputies are on paid administrative leave.
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