A domestic violence call that became a manhunt resulted in four law enforcement officers being shot overnight in York County in South Carolina, just south of Charlotte.
Conditions for the four were not released as of early Tuesday, but the York County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Trent Faris implied the wounds were serious when he said they needed prayers.
“We can really use your prayers and we can really use your thoughts right now for those officers,” Faris said.
The wounded included three York County Sheriff’s deputies and one York city police officer.
They were shot at two locations during the manhunt, Faris said.
The suspect in the shooting is Christian Thomas McCall, 47, and he was himself shot by law enforcement during the pursuit. He is in custody and his condition was not released as of early Tuesday.
York is the county seat of York County and is located about 35 miles southwest of Charlotte.
“This is the worst-case scenario for officers and their families, and right now we are concerned about all of them,” York Police Chief Andy Robinson told the Rock Hill Herald. “This is what we hope never happens.”
Faris said the shootings occurred as the result of a domestic call to a home on Farrier Lane at 10:10 p.m. Monday. The home is located outside of York.
McCall fled the scene and deputies launched a manhunt.
The first of officers to be shot was working with the K-9 team, and it happened shortly after 1 a.m. The officer was taken to Piedmont Medical Center in a patrol car, officials said.
The search for McCall was then expanded to include other agencies, and that’s when three additional officers were shot around 3:30 a.m., Faris said. Two were deputies and one was a York County police officer who was assisting with the SWAT effort. Two of the wounded were taken to Carolinas Medical Center by helicopter and the third was transported by vehicle, officials said.
The two deputies and police officer were in the woods near Campbell Road when McCall opened fire on them, WSOC reports. The station is also reporting that McCall fired a rifle at the helicopter that was participating in the search, and the helicopter was hit.
A reverse 911 call was issued, warning residents of the area to stay in their homes, officials said.
McCall was later shot in the process of being taken into custody. He is a suspect in the domestic violence case, media outlets are reporting. WSOC reports McCall was assaulting a woman when deputies arrived, but he was able to escape.
The York city police officer who was shot was part of the SWAT team investigating the case.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police assisted in the case, lending its helicopter to the search, officials reported.
The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the case, Faris said.
Mark Price: 704-358-5245, @markprice_obs
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