DORCHESTER COUNTY, SC (WCSC) -
A man who shot at Dorchester County Sheriff's Office deputies during a chase in Colleton County was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
At the conclusion of a two-day trial, jurors convicted 31-year-old Bronson Shelley of one count of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime stemming from the car chase through Dorchester and Colleton counties on the night of July 12, 2011.
Dorchester County sheriff's deputies attempted to pull over a stolen Acura sedan on Interstate 95 for several moving violations. Instead of stopping, the driver of the car sped up, leading deputies on a chase at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.
Court documents state that the Acura exited the interstate onto S.C. 61 in Colleton County and continued to travel at high-speeds, nearly colliding with other vehicles. During the chase, one of the two men began firing shots out of the car's sunroof. The lead deputy in the chase then rammed the car, causing it to leave the roadway. Both suspects ran into a wooded area, while still firing shots at the officers. They were apprehended with the help of a police dog a short-time later.
In all, officers from seven area law enforcement agencies participated in the chase and apprehension. One officer sustained a hand injury during the pursuit, but none were struck by bullets.
"When you shoot approximately 10 times, you have the intention of killing somebody," said assistant solicitor Steve Knight, who prosecuted the case. "In this case, that somebody was a police officer, which is the worst thing I can possibly imagine."
Shelley, who was apparently homeless at the time, is wanted in Las Vegas for pandering a child, pandering, child endangerment, living from the earnings of a prostitute and furnishing transportation to a prostitute.
The charges against the second suspect, Mario Doetrel Rivers, 35, of Charleston, are pending.
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Sheriff's office cruiser that was shot twice by the suspects.
