SC woman charged with shooting at driver, 120+ MPH cop chase in Chester, York counties
A suspect in a Chester County shooting incident who led deputies on a chase through Chester and York counties was arrested Thursday morning in the parking lot of the York County Government Center, officials said.
The chase reached speeds over 120 mph and involved sheriff’s deputies and officers with the York Police Department. The driver was taken into custody around 8:30 a.m. without incident at the government complex on South Congress Street in downtown York, said Trent Faris, spokesman for the York County Sheriff’s Office.
No one was injured, Faris said.
The chase started in Chester County, said Faris and Grant Suskin, spokesman for the Chester County Sheriff’s Office.
Woman suspect fired shots, deputies say
The suspect has been identified by Chester County deputies and jail records as Kyla Lashann Clayton, 48, of York.
Clayton was charged Thursday afternoon with attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and failure to stop for a blue light, according to arrest warrants obtained by The Herald.
The warrants state they have video recordings of the police pursuit from law enforcement vehicles, and audio/video recordings of the alleged shooting incident made by the victim who was fired upon.
A conviction for attempted murder in South Carolina carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison. The weapon charge is a felony that carries up to five years in prison and the failure to stop carries up to three years, state law shows.
Clayton remains in the Chester County jail without bond after bail was denied in a court hearing Thursday afternoon, records show.
Shots and chase, arrest warrants state
The arrest warrants and a statement issued by the Chester sheriff’s office gave details of what law enforcement said happened Thursday morning.
Around 8:10 a.m., a resident called 911 to report a reckless driver in Chester County on the J.A. Cochran Bypass and began following the driver, Suskin said.
“During the 911 call, Clayton pulled over, fired multiple shots at the resident, and sped off,” Suskin said in the statement.
The arrest warrant that charges attempted murder states Clayton fired a handgun at the victim.
Chester County deputies stopped Clayton after she passed the sheriff’s office on Dawson Drive, Suskin said. When the deputies approached the car, Clayton allegedly drove away northward through Chester County into York County.
Clayton hit another vehicle during the pursuit, which reached speeds of over 120 mph, Suskin said.
That collision remains under investigation by the S.C. Highway Patrol, according to officials.
Clayton also ran several other vehicles off the road and passed a school bus during the pursuit, Suskin said.
No shots were fired at deputies or police during the traffic stop or pursuit, Suskin said. In the car after Clayton was captured, deputies and police found three handguns, a rifle, and two bags of ammunition, Suskin said.
All safe at York government center
No employees were hurt or endangered at the government center in downtown York where the suspect was caught, officials said.
The government center in downtown York houses the county manager’s office and several other county government offices with dozens of employees. The city of York is the York County seat of government and has about 9,000 residents. It is north of Chester, west of Rock Hill, and southwest of Charlotte.
Check back for updates.
This story was originally published December 16, 2021 at 9:37 AM with the headline "SC woman charged with shooting at driver, 120+ MPH cop chase in Chester, York counties."
