Man shot by deputy near Tanger Outlet Center 2; injured deputy to be released from hospital

A traffic stop by a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputy led to the shooting of a driver in Bluffton on Friday evening.

According to Capt. Bob Bromage of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, the deputy stopped a driver around 5:45 p.m. near the Nike Outlet store at Tanger Outlet Center 2. The male deputy who made the stop was dragged by the driver’s vehicle when the vehicle was put in reverse, Bromage said.

The driver, who also is male, was shot by the deputy. He was flown by helicopter to Savannah for treatment. The deputy was also injured and was taken to Hilton Head Regional Medical Center for treatment. A Sheriff’s Office update around 9:20 p.m. said the deputy was going to be released and the vehicle driver was still receiving treatment.

The S.C. State Law Enforcement Division was on the scene and taking over the investigation, Bromage said around 8 p.m.

Bromage would not elaborate on the conditions of the driver and the deputy, and he would not provide further details about what led to the shooting.

He said the vehicle was stopped because the driver was behaving suspiciously.

This story was originally published December 9, 2016 at 7:26 PM with the headline "Man shot by deputy near Tanger Outlet Center 2; injured deputy to be released from hospital."