NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — State police in South Carolina are investigating fatal police shootings this week in North Charleston and in Greenville.
The suspects in both cases were armed, authorities told news outlets.
The first shooting occurred late Monday when officers responded to a report of gunshots near a gas station in North Charleston. They found an armed suspect who refused to drop his weapon and fired at officers, police said in a statement. Officers returned fire, killing the suspect, police said.
The suspect was identified as Winston Dunham, 33, of Charleston by Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal, news outlets reported.
Eight North Charleston officers and three Charleston County Sheriff’s deputies who were involved in the shooting have been placed on routine administrative leave, the agencies said. None of the officers were injured.
Another fatal shooting happened Wednesday in Greenville when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance and arrived to find a man armed, Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said in a Facebook post.
“Deputies challenged him to drop the firearm. An officer-involved shooting took place,” he said.
The man died at the scene, Lewis said. His name hasn't been released. No one else was injured. Lewis did not give further details on the circumstances of the shooting.
Four deputies involved in the shooting were placed on routine administrative leave while the investigation continues, the sheriff's office said.