HUGER, S.C.–The North Charleston man accused of stealing a car and leading police on a chase from Mount Pleasant into Berkeley County faced a judge in bond court early Thursday morning.
Eric Humphries, 32, is charged with reckless driving, larceny, cruelty to animals, failure to stop for blue lights. The judge set bond at $87,500.
Mount Pleasant Police say on Wednesday night Humphries stole a man’s car and dog at an area Pizza Hut and led officers on a chase that ended in the Francis Marion National Forest in Berkeley County.
Agents with the S.C. Law Enforcement Division are investigating the incident after they say Berkeley County Sheriff’s deputies fired on a stolen vehicle as it was being pursued in Charleston County.
“SLED conducts law enforcement officer-involved shooting incidents at the request of the agency involved in the incident,” stated SLED spokesperson Thom Berry. “This independent investigation follows SLED’s guidance in conducting interviews along with the gathering and analysis of forensic evidence.”
According to Berry, interviews are being conducted with the responding officers and others.
“There is no dash cam video of the incident. The driver of the stolen vehicle was not injured by gunfire,” Berry added.
Berry stated that Information gathered in the SLED investigation will be summarized in a case file report to be submitted to prosecutors for review and determination of what, if any, criminal charges that may be filed.
He stressed that this is an ongoing investigation.
“No other information about the case will be disclosed by SLED at this time. SLED will defer to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office for further information regarding the deputies involved in the incident,” stated Berry.
In a press release, Berry stated that Wednesday’s incident is the 21st officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in 2015 and the second this year by a Berkeley County Sheriff’s deputy.
In 2014, there were 42 officer-involved shooting incidents in South Carolina, one of which involved a Berkeley County Sheriff’s deputy.
