SC state police investigating wild shootout that injured North Augusta officer
A man is accused of shooting a public safety officer Thursday afternoon during a frightening confrontation with police in a busy commercial stretch of North Augusta, the State Law Enforcement Division said.
Thomas Airington, 42, is charged with attempted murder following an exchange of gunfire with officers about 4:30 p.m. in the 400 block of Georgia Avenue.
Bystander cell phone videos posted by WRDW in Augusta, Georgia, show a man crouched beside a black pickup truck in the middle of the street firing dozens of shots. At least 40 shots can be heard in the 76-second video.
Police eventually arrested the man, later identified as Airington, after he put his hands in the air and placed his rifle on top of the vehicle, video posted by WJBF shows. He was not injured in the shootout, according to SLED, which is investigating the shooting.
The North Augusta officer who was shot was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive, SLED spokesman Ryan Alphin said.
State police are investigating the shooting at the request of the North Augusta Department of Public Safety. Alphin said the agency would not release any additional information about the case due to the ongoing nature of their investigation.
The shooting is the 36th involving an officer in South Carolina this year, he said.