SC deputy shot, killed man who barricaded himself in car after police chase, SLED says
A Clover man killed by the York County SWAT team was armed and barricaded in his car following a police chase Sunday morning, according to an account from South Carolina law enforcement officials.
Charlie Baker, 62, died at the scene at Alexander Love Highway and Wesley Amaker Road, said Sabrina Gast, York County Coroner. The area is near the city of York, west of Rock Hill and southwest of Charlotte.
The York Police Department pursued Baker and made a traffic stop early Sunday before York County deputies came in contact with him, the State Law Enforcement Division said in a statement Monday.
Baker barricaded himself inside his vehicle before the York County SWAT team was called, according to SLED. Officers attempted to negotiate with Baker before a member of the SWAT team shot him with a rifle, state officials said.
York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said that SWAT team member is Lance Corporal Berlin Gipson, who is on paid administrative leave during the SLED investigation. Gipson has been a deputy since June 2021.
Tolson said he asked SLED to do an outside investigation of Sunday’s shooting.
The county SWAT team has deputies and police from other York County law enforcement agencies, except Rock Hill, which has its own team.
The shooting in the early morning hours near York Comprehensive High School and a house of worship prompted the road to be closed for several hours. No deputies were hurt, officials said.
8th SC shooting involving police in 2024
The York County shooting is the eighth involving an officer in South Carolina in 2024, according to information released by SLED in late February. In 2023, South Carolina had 43 shootings involving police.
SLED investigates police shootings when requested by local law enforcement, but prosecutors decide if the use of force was justified or violated any criminal laws.
Kevin Brackett, 16th Circuit Solicitor, told The Herald he was briefed Sunday after the shooting. Brackett said he will assist SLED if needed, then review its findings after the investigation is complete.
Brackett declined further comment because the investigation findings have not been submitted.
What happened last time?
Generally, South Carolina county prosecutors handle the review of use of force, but there are times when the S.C. Attorney General’s Office or another county prosecutor steps in if there is a potential conflict of interest.
The last police shooting in York County was in November when Rock Hill Police Department officers shot a bank robbery suspect in the hand after he allegedly pointed a gun at police who were trying to take him into custody. Brackett said his office determined the use of force by Rock Hill officers in that shooting was justified.
The last York County Sheriff’s Office fatal shooting was in September 2022 when a deputy shot and killed a man who rammed his cruiser with a vehicle after a chase. There were police body camera and dash cam videos in that shooting.
Brackett determined that shooting was justified, saying the deputy faced a clear and immediate threat to his life.
