Man Dies after Deputy Involved Shooting in Rock Hill

ROCK HILL, SC — UPDATE: During a press conference Wednesday morning, York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson detailed the moments leading up to a shooting involving York County deputies and a stolen vehicle suspect.

Tolson says that they got a call Tuesday afternoon regarding a stolen vehicle from Charlotte that might be in the Baxter Village area in Fort Mill. Deputies located the vehicle in the Baxter YMCA parking lot. The person driving the stolen vehicle was identified as 28-year-old Tyshawn Malik Benjamin, of Wendell, North Carolina. Benjamin was asked to get out and surrender but refused the sheriff said. A chase began after Benjamin sped off and onto Interstate 77 towards Rock Hill. Benjamin continued leading deputies on a chase through the area until he turned into the CVS parking lot on Cherry Road.  Tolson said that’s where Benjamin drove the stolen vehicle into Senior Deputy Korey Wedow and Corporal Lucas Frame’s cars. Benjamin attempted to hit the deputies cars again before Senior Deputy Wedow fired three shots into the car Benjamin was driving. Dash Cam video was shown during the press conference.

York County Coroner Sabrina Gast said Benjamin was transported to Piedmont Medical Center where he died as a result of his injuries. Tolson said the deputies involved were not injured.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division will now take over the investigation.

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What began as a traffic stop of a suspected stolen car ended up as an officer-involved shooting on busy Cherry Road in Rock Hill Tuesday afternoon.

Sheriff Kevin Tolson told reporters that his deputies tried to stop a man in a blue car around 4:30 p.m. in the Baxter area of Fort Mill. After a vehicle chase down Cherry Road, the blue car pulled into a CVS parking lot. Instead of stopping, the driver rammed two marked York County deputy cruisers. As the driver rammed the second deputy’s car, the deputy shot into the blue car three times.

The blue car’s driver, who has not been identified, was taken to the hospital with “very serious” injuries, Tolson said. No deputies were hurt. The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has been called into investigate, which is routine practice.

He added that he stands by his deputy’s action “100 percent.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.