The Latest: Police investigate after officer shoots driver

FOREST ACRES, S.C. – The Latest on the shooting of a black man by a white police officer in a Columbia, South Carolina, suburb (all times local):

2:50 p.m.

A white police officer in a Columbia enclave who shot and wounded a black man has been placed on paid leave during an investigation.

Forest Acres Police Chief Gene Sealy didn’t identify the officer at a news conference Thursday. He says the officer has been with the department for several years.

Sealy gave few details of the early morning shooting in the small residential community surrounded by the city of Columbia.

Authorities say an officer called to investigate a noise complaint found a man in a vehicle, which Sealy says had been reported stolen. State police spokesman Thom Berry says the driver tried to use the vehicle to strike the officer, who fired as the man sped away.

Berry says the officer chased the vehicle, which crashed into an ATM at a credit union.

The driver was shot and was taken to a hospital. His condition wasn’t available. The officer wasn’t hurt.

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11:05 a.m.

State police say there is dash camera video of an incident involving the shooting of a black man by a white police officer in a Columbia enclave.

State Law Enforcement Division spokesman Thom Berry says the agency is still checking on surveillance video of the shooting early Thursday morning in Forest Acres, a small residential community surrounded by the city of Columbia. Officers in the area do not have body cameras.

Berry says a Forest Acres officer called to investigate a noise complaint found a man in a vehicle. Berry says the driver tried to strike the male officer with the vehicle, and the officer fired as the vehicle sped away.

Berry says the officer chased the vehicle, which crashed into an ATM at a credit union. SLED is investigating the chase, but no shots were fired then.

The driver suffered a gunshot wound and was taken to a hospital. There’s no word on his condition. The officer wasn’t hurt.

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7:55 a.m.

The State Law Enforcement Division in South Carolina is investigating the shooting of a black man by a white police officer in a Columbia suburb.

The shooting was reported around 1:30 a.m. Thursday in Forest Acres.

SLED spokesman Thom Berry says a Forest Acres police officer called to investigate a noise complaint found a man in a vehicle. Berry says the driver tried to strike the male officer with the vehicle and the officer fired as the vehicle sped away.

Berry says the officer chased the vehicle which crashed into an ATM at a credit union. SLED is investigating the chase, but no shots were fired then.

The driver suffered a gunshot wound and was taken to a hospital. There’s no word on his condition. The officer wasn’t hurt.