BISHOPVILLE, S.C. — Two 17-year-old males are in custody following an armed carjacking and high-speed chase that began at a grocery store in Bishopville and ended in neighboring Sumter County, according to Bishopville Police Chief J.D. Dellinger.
The incident began around 12:49 p.m., when officers responded to a report of a female victim being forced out of her vehicle at gunpoint in the parking lot of the Food Lion grocery store. The suspects fled the scene in the stolen vehicle.
Deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office later spotted the car on Interstate 20, but when they attempted a traffic stop, the suspects refused to pull over, leading officers on a multi-county pursuit through portions of Lee, Sumter, and Kershaw Counties.
The chase ended near Thomas Sumter Academy in Sumter County, where the teens abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. With assistance from bloodhounds provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, both suspects were located and taken into custody without further incident.
The two teens have been booked into the Sumter Detention Center and face charges of armed carjacking and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
