Suspect in shooting of 4 S.C. officers captured
Man also fired on, hit police helicopter after domestic violence call
YORK, S.C. — Four York County law enforcement officers were shot and injured in an overnight domestic violence call and manhunt outside York, S.C., and the suspect also fired on and hit a helicopter, police said.
The helicopter, from the State Law Enforcement Division, took gunfire while in the air, searching for the suspect who attacked officers, a SLED spokesman said.
Three of the injured officers were York County Sheriff ’s Office deputies. One is a K-9 officer who was searching for the suspect; two others were members of the York County SWAT team who were called to work the incident, police said.
‘Worst-case scenario’
The fourth injured officer is a York Police Department officer, said York Police Chief Andy Robinson.
York County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Trent Faris and Robinson did not release the names and conditions of the officers Tuesday morning.
The suspect in the shootings, Christian Thomas McCall, 47, also was shot, Faris said.
Robinson said by telephone from Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte that dozens of police officers were at the hospital.
“This is the worst-case scenario for officers and their families, and right now we are concerned about all of them,” Robinson said. “This is what we hope never happens.”
Thom Berry, a State Law Enforcement Division spokesman, said McCall has an arrest from Florence County in 1994, but as of Tuesday, he had no other information on McCall’s criminal history.
Police were called to a domestic incident on Farrier Lane outside York at about 10:10 p.m. Monday, Faris said.
The suspect had fled the scene, and K-9 units were called to track the suspect, Faris said.
The York County K-9 officer was shot during the search and was taken in a patrol car to Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill, Faris said.
Several police agencies then started searching for the suspect, Faris said. Shots were fired again at about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday and three more officers — two York County sheriff’s deputies and the York police officer — were hit, Faris said.
Two injured officers were airlifted to CMC, and one was taken by ground to the hospital.
The SLED helicopter was carrying two pilots when it came under fire during the search, Berry said. The officers on the helicopter were not injured but the helicopter’s rear stabilizer was hit, Berry said.
SLED has several teams of agents working the case, with sheriff ’s deputies and other police.
“We have agents from the Piedmont and Midlands at the crime scene, agents at the hospitals and agents in other areas of the investigation,” Berry said.
Information to gather
Solicitor Kevin Brackett, the top prosecutor for York County, said information is still being gathered on what charges might develop against the suspect.
Brackett said his immediate concern is for the officers and their families.
“These officers were wounded, and our concern is their condition and that their families are being taken care of,” Brackett said.
Former York County Sheriff Bruce Bryant, now a South Carolina House member, said he “is sickened and devastated that four law enforcement officers were shot while trying to protect the public.”
Bryant was sheriff from 1997 through the end of 2016 and supervised three of the wounded officers.
“This is a terrible and unacceptable situation for law enforcement and for the people of York County,” Bryant said.