Man gets away after traffic stop results in foot chase

What started as a traffic stop for the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office ended in a police chase to the Wells Fargo on Okatie Village Drive shortly before 8 p.m. Friday, according to a police report filed by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, which assisted in the investigation.

After a white Toyota Rav4 disregarded a stop sign, a Jasper County Sheriff’s officer initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle had left a known drug house in their jurisdiction, according to the report.

The driver, a black male dressed in all red, was the sole occupant. He fled the scene on foot toward U.S. 278 near the Cracker Barrel, the report said.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office in setting up a perimeter near the restaurant, but was unable to locate the suspect. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office assembled a K-9 unit to track the suspect, but was also unsuccessful.

Jasper County Sheriff’s officers said the registered owner of the Rav4 was on its way to the scene and said they hoped the owner would help identify the suspect, the report said.

A call made to Jasper County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday afternoon inquiring about the status of the investigation was not returned.

This story was originally published March 18, 2017 at 6:01 PM with the headline "Man gets away after traffic stop results in foot chase."