A Spartanburg man who is legally barred from owning firearms was arrested Saturday after fleeing a traffic stop on foot, tossing an AR-15-style rifle into nearby bushes and dropping a stolen handgun from his backpack before collapsing, out of breath, in a nearby field. Torodd Haney now faces charges tied to the discovery, and police say more charges are still coming.
According to FOX Carolina News, the encounter began when officers received a Flock license plate reader alert for a wanted person near S. Church Street and Caulder Avenue. Officers then initiated a traffic stop near N. Church Street and E. St. John Street, according to the incident report cited by the outlet. The department showcased its Real-Time Crime Center in January, a hub that links live video feeds and citywide Flock cameras to flag wanted suspects in real time, according to CUBNSC.
Officers located a 2012 Hyundai Sonata during the stop, the incident report states. A passenger got out of the front seat with a backpack and ran, and an officer chased Haney past an apartment complex on N. Liberty Street. During the pursuit, an officer reported seeing Haney throw a large object into nearby bushes, per the incident report. Meanwhile, the driver of the Sonata drove off from the scene while officers were focused on chasing the armed suspect.
Rifle and Stolen Pistol Recovered
Haney eventually collapsed, out of breath, in a nearby field, the report says. As he went down, he dropped his backpack, causing a handgun to fall to the ground. Officers recovered a black-and-red Spike's Tactical rifle equipped with a forced reset trigger, along with a tan Glock 19X pistol that had been reported stolen out of Spartanburg County, according to the incident report.
A search of Haney turned up a baggie of marijuana in his pocket, and he was issued a citation for simple possession, per the report. He was taken into custody and transported to the Spartanburg County Detention Center. Police say Haney is a convicted felon who is legally prohibited from possessing firearms, and additional charges against him remain pending, according to the Spartanburg Police Department.
What Charges Could Follow
Under South Carolina Code § 16-23-500, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, a $2,000 fine, and mandatory confiscation of the weapon, according to legal background compiled by Delaney Law LLC. Federal law adds another layer of exposure: under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), it is a federal crime for anyone previously convicted of a felony punishable by more than a year in prison to possess firearms or ammunition, carrying federal penalties of up to 10 years generally, with a 15-year minimum for people having three or more qualifying violent-felony or serious-drug convictions, per an explainer from Shealey Law Firm. Additional charges against Haney remain pending.
The report identifies the forced reset trigger as an additional feature of the weapon. It identifies Spike's Tactical as the rifle's manufacturer.
A Broader Pattern of Gun Recoveries
The case adds to a run of gun-related arrests in Spartanburg this month; a separate Fox Carolina report described an alleged car-theft attempt involving a man who was knocked unconscious and a missing gun. Citywide, the Spartanburg Police Department reported that property crime in 2025 fell 25 percent below the city's 10-year average, though aggravated assaults made up 76 percent of violent crimes and more than half involved firearms, according to the Post and Courier.
Statewide, ATF tracing data shows law enforcement recovered and traced nearly 13,000 crime guns in South Carolina in 2023, according to Everytown Research & Policy. ATF firearms-trace data includes time-to-crime information. The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office recorded 1,153 violent crime incidents in 2024 with a 58 percent solve rate, per South Carolina Law Enforcement Division crime reporting data.
The arrest also comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Flock camera technology that flagged Haney's vehicle in the first place. The technology has drawn scrutiny as the region debates surveillance oversight. The Spartanburg case unfolded under the leadership of Chief Alonzo Thompson.
