UNION COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – A manhunt for an attempted murder suspect, in Union County, has ended.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office said a man was on the run after a shooting happened on Monday. They said the search lasted for over 48 hours and with the help of SLED and DNR, they were able to capture this convicted felon in another county.
Captain Scott Coffer said Chad Lawter is the suspect in a shooting that happened on Frank Hill Loop.
“Once our deputies arrived, they found a male lying outside in the yard with a gunshot wound,” said Coffer.
He said Lawter and the victim knew each other, but they’re still investigating why the shooting happened.
The victim gave them details and the search began.
“Late yesterday afternoon, we received a tip of a location of where he was in the county, out of Kelly Road,” he said.
When law enforcement arrived on Kelly Road, Coffer said they found Lawter’s car, but he wasn’t at that residence.
With boots on the ground, and eyes in the air, they kept looking.
“The manhunt for him went throughout the night last night, SLED aviation, their K9 team, and DNR all came out to help us,” said Coffer.
Sheriff Jeff Bailey said they called in other agencies to help them find Lawter.
“Due to his prior record, him making threats to other folks, that’s why we felt like we needed to get hands-on, as soon as possible, that’s exactly why we called in the other agencies,” said Bailey.
“He is a convicted felon, and we knew he was in possession of a firearm,” said Coffer.
After following tips and leads, the Sheriff’s Office said they found him at a home in Cherokee County, on Wednesday morning at 3 a.m. They said a female was in the residence and told investigators he was there.
“He’s definitely a danger to the community, that’s something that we sit down and brief each other on. His prior record and what we’re looking at and we try to make those decisions and try to do it in a safe way,” said the Bailey.
Investigators said Lawter was taken into custody without incident.
Bailey said if it wasn’t for the other agencies, they would have been searching longer. He said they are thankful they have other organizations willing to help.
“In a small town, a small county like that we depend on other agencies to come to help us out with manpower,” he said.
On top of the attempted murder charge, Lawter is facing charges for having a weapon during a violent crime and having a weapon as a convicted felon.
The Sheriff’s Office said they are following up to see if Lawter will receive any charges for running from law enforcement.
The victim was taken to the hospital for his injuries and has since been released.
