State trooper involved in Horry County deadly shooting identified by SCDPS
The police officer who was involved in a deadly shooting over the weekend in Horry County has been identified by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
The South Carolina Highway Patrolman, who was also injured in the shooting, has been identified as Master Trooper W.B. Benton. He has been released from the hospital but is scheduled for surgery for injuries from the incident, according to SCDPS.
Benton, who is assigned to Troop 5, which includes Horry County, has been with the department since 2010.
The Horry County Coroner’s Office announced that the other person died Saturday night at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center after the shooting.
The person’s identity and cause of death has not been announced as of Monday afternoon.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division responded to a shooting they say involved a state trooper in Horry County, spokesman Tommy Crosby confirmed.
A state trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol shot a man during a confrontation while conducting a traffic stop, a SLED news release stated. The man was shot during the incident and taken to the hospital. The state trooper was also taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
WMBF reported that a Highway Patrol trooper was patrolling on S.C. 905 near S.C. 22 when he tried to perform a traffic stop for an equipment violation just after 3:45 p.m., but the car sped away.
There was a short chase and the man crashed his car into a utility building in a yard near McNeil Chapel Road, according to SCHP.
SLED conducts investigations after police shootings at the request of the agency involved in the incident.
Agents will conduct interviews with all potential witnesses and collect all relevant evidence and will forensically test such evidence as needed, the press release stated.
The incident in Horry County was the 28th shooting involving an officer in South Carolina in 2021. In 2020, there were 49 officer involved shootings in South Carolina; two involved the SCHP.
A location has not yet been confirmed by state authorities.
This story was originally published September 13, 2021 at 3:46 PM with the headline "State trooper involved in Horry County deadly shooting identified by SCDPS."
