The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - A North Charleston officer shot and killed a man, who police say fired at officers during a drug sting Wednesday night.
The officers responded to a drug deal at 6:30 p.m. at Northwoods Mall.
Police Chief Jon Zumalt said the sting was set up by undercover officers, but uniform police showed up to make the arrest.
“Our police unit pulled up behind the vehicle,” he said. “Two officers approached the vehicle, one on the driver side and one on the passenger side.”
Zumalt said the passenger got out of the car and fired at the officer. He said the officer was not hit and no one else at the scene was injured.
“The officer fired one round back,” he said. “This was a tragic end to a drug case.”
The names of the two men suspected in the drug deal, including the shooting victim, were not available late Wednesday.
Officers recovered about 2 ounces of cocaine with a street value of about $6,000, police said.
Zumalt said his department has done many of the undercover stings in the past and they rarely turn violent.
The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting, and the officer involved in the shooting has been put on administrative duty. The officer’s name was not released.
The sting took place in a busy mall parking lot, witnesses said.
Hai Luu, a mall worker, said he came out minutes after the shooting took place. “There was a gun on the ground near a body,” he said. “I was very close. I could see little bags of white stuff on the ground, but the police told me to move away.”
Rene Simmons of North Charleston found her car included in the crime scene.
“I’m parked over there,” Simmons said, pointing to a vehicle in the cordoned-off area. “The police said I couldn’t get my car because it’s a crime scene. ... This is my first time experiencing anything like this here. It’s scary.”