A Clarendon man is sitting in a South Carolina jail after authorities say he stole a law enforcement patrol vehicle and led multiple agencies on a high-speed chase Friday that ended in a crash near Green Sea. Prosecutors in South Carolina have already filed charges that include possession of a stolen vehicle, driving under the influence, an open-container violation and shoplifting.
Arrest and charges
According to Columbus County News, the suspect is 27-year-old Michael Terrill Hemingway of Clarendon. He was arrested near Green Sea after the patrol vehicle wrecked at the end of the chase.
The outlet reports that Hemingway was placed under a secured bond and is being held on a fugitive warrant from North Carolina while authorities in Columbus County review additional potential charges on their side of the state line.
Sheriff's office closed for funeral
Details on the incident have been limited, in part because the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office paused most public communication while observing funeral services for Deputy Damien Draper Bost. Regional coverage of the procession and services appeared in local media; the Tabor-Loris Tribune reported on the memorial and noted that the sheriff’s office was observing the funeral.
Extradition and next steps
Columbus County News reports that Hemingway currently faces the South Carolina charges while officials in North Carolina decide whether to pursue their own counts. If the fugitive warrant is served, he could be extradited back to North Carolina to answer those pending allegations.
According to the outlet, prosecutors in both states are expected to sort out the next steps once the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office returns to normal operations following the deputy’s funeral observances.
