CHEROKEE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – One person is in custody following a chase from North Carolina into Cherokee County Friday afternoon.
According to Cherokee County Sheriff Steve Mueller, officers attempted to stop a stolen U-Haul truck using a tire-deflation device in Bessemer City, North Carolina.
Mueller said the U-Haul driver appeared to drive toward the officer who fired his gun. No injuries were reported in that shooting.
Law enforcement then chased the suspect down Interstate 85 into Cherokee County where deputies were able to deflate the front left tire of the U-Haul.
The chase ended with the driver being taken into custody without incident at the Highway 150 bridge over I-85 near Gaffney, according to Mueller.
The sheriff said there were initial reports that shots were fired by the suspect at officers but that turned out to be incorrect.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating.
The suspect, identified as Joe Houston, is charged with failure to stop in Cherokee County and will be charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, according to Sheriff Mueller.
Law enforcement briefly stopped all traffic on Interstate 85 due to the chase.