Deputies: Felon arrested after he was found with sawed-off shotgun on Hilton Head

A man found sitting in the back of a car with a sawed-off shotgun across his lap is among those charged following a suspicious vehicle call on Hilton Head Island on Wednesday night.

Christopher Doville, 27, of Ridgeland, faces charges of possession of a sawed-off shotgun, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and simple possession of marijuana, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office news release.

The other two men in the car were charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, the release said.

Deputies were called to Southwood Park Drive shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday and found a Dodge Charger in the parking lot of Hilton Head Gardens, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

As they approached the car, deputies smelled marijuana and saw three men sitting inside, the release said.

Doville was in the back seat with a sawed-off shotgun on his lap and several shotgun shells next to him, the release said.

All three men were detained and the shotgun seized. The suspects were taken to the Beaufort County Detention Center.

Doville has yet to be assigned a bond, according to detention center records.

That same parking lot was the scene of a shooting Tuesday evening. The male victim was shot in the leg by an unidentified man described as an African American man between 6 feet, 2 inches tall with a medium to heavy build, short hair and a goatee-style beard. He was wearing a plaid shirt at the time of the shooting.

No arrests have been made in that case.

Anyone with information on the Tuesday shooting may contact the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Dispatch by dialing 911.

This story was originally published April 6, 2017 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Deputies: Felon arrested after he was found with sawed-off shotgun on Hilton Head."