Officials say an Irmo man was shot in the head, as he tried to run over two police officers
WEST COLUMBIA (WACH) -- Its a dangerous duty and those who enter into law enforcement know they will be risking their lives.
“Officers never know what is going to happen on a traffic stop,” said West Columbia Police Chief Dennis Tyndall.
Tyndall says his force received a reminder Thursday, when two officers had to open fire on a suspect at a traffic stop, to protect their safety.
Whenever an officer is involved in a shooting, the incident must be investigated by an outside agency. SLED has been called in to review what happened in West Columbia.
“That takes a toll on the officers minds, because now all of a sudden they are being investigated for protecting themselves and the public,” said Tyndall.
Brandon Field is a Training Sergeant with the West Columbia Police Department, and like his colleagues, he has been in some scary situations.
“People don't understand what goes through our minds when something does happen on a traffic stop,” says Field. “We don't just have the officers to worry about and the person in the vehicle, but the other innocent people that are out and around.”
Field points out the use of deadly force on a suspect is a last resort, and the decision to open fire depends a lot on the actions of the person police are dealing with.
“There is a lot of stress afterwards when you are in an incident like that,” says Field. “You are worried about if you did the right thing.”
At the end of the day says field, the most important thing is the public is protected.
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