MCCORMICK COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) — A McCormick County deputy is accused of shooting at two people after he was involved in a crash while allegedly driving under the influence in Greenwood County.
Jason Erwin, 44, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with two counts of attempted murder, misconduct in office and driving under the influence.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said it all started with a crash on Highway 221 in Greenwood County. The victims told investigators that they stopped their vehicle after the crash and saw Erwin get out of a police vehicle wearing shorts and a tank top.
SLED said the victims reported that Erwin was behaving erratically and that they thought he was under the influence. They then called 911 to report the crash and Erwin’s behavior, investigators said.
The victims told SLED agents that they were not sure if Erwin was an actual law enforcement officer.
State agents said that the victims saw Erwin put on a traffic safety vest and begin coming toward them in an aggressive manner. The two victims got into their vehicle and drove away, fearing for their lives, according to a report.
Erwin then began to ram his vehicle into the victims’ vehicle while driving south on Highway 221. Eventually, the victims pulled over on Highway 10 in McCormick County when they saw law enforcement. Erwin then rammed their vehicle, the report stated.
Two McCormick County deputies arrived and began to remove the victims from their vehicle at which point they heard Erwin say “I’m going to shoot you” before he fired a 12-gauge shotgun, according to SLED’s report.
Erwin was booked into the McCormick County Detention Center and is currently being held in the Greenwood County Detention Center.