Chase suspect shot at Lake Waccamaw

By DEUCE NIVEN
Sunday evening update

    Sheriff’s deputies and State Highway Patrol troopers opened fire on an attempted murder suspect from Onslow County following a long, high speed chase that began in South Carolina and traversed a large part of Columbus County Sunday afternoon, District Attorney Jon David and Columbus County Sheriff Lewis Hatcher both said.
    George Reynolds Evans, 60, of Jacksonville is expected to survive the multiple gunshot wounds he received in the median of U.S. 74 just west of East Columbus High School at Lake Waccamaw, Hatcher said.
    “He was airlifted to New Hanover Regional Medical Center, and at last check none of the injuries looked like they were life threatening,” Hatcher said.
    Deputies and troopers involved in the shooting will all be placed on administrative leave, David said. Neither he nor Hatcher would say how many officers from either agency fired shots.
    For more on this story see the April 2 Tabor-Loris Tribune in print and online.

Initial report
    A long chase involving a criminal suspect from South Carolina ended with officer involved gunfire at Lake Waccamaw Sunday afternoon, and the suspect airlifted to a Wilmington hospital, law enforcement officers said.
    Police in Tabor City picked up the chase that began in Horry County, SC on U.S. 701 at the state line, TCPD Capt. Russell Conway said.
    “We stayed with it until just this side of Whiteville,” Conway said. “Until the deputy had some more Columbus County cars. We wouldn’t leave just one car by himself.”
    Sheriff Lewis Hatcher said the chase ended on U.S. 74 at Lake Waccamaw, just west of East Columbus High School, with gunfire and the suspect seriously injured. He was taken from the scene by AirLink helicopter to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, his condition not immediately known.
    Deputies and North Carolina Highway Patrol Troopers were involved in the chase when it ended, Hatcher said, adding that he could not say, yet, if deputies, troopers, of both fired shots. He also could not say if the suspect had fired any shots, but promised to provide more details later today.