A vehicle pursuit that began in Lancaster County ended on Frances Avenue in Great Falls on August 31, when Chester County Sheriff's deputies took Keyache Davis into custody after deploying stop sticks to flatten his tires. Deputies say they seized roughly 22 grams of a substance believed to be methamphetamine and about 3.5 grams of a substance believed to be marijuana, leading to a felony trafficking charge against Davis.
According to the Chester County Sheriff's Office, deputies assisted a vehicle pursuit involving Davis that crossed into Chester County from Lancaster County along Highway 200. Local reporting from The Lancaster News confirmed the chase originated in neighboring Lancaster County before moving across county lines into Chester County, though it remains unclear which Lancaster County agency initiated the original pursuit or what prompted the initial stop attempt there.
Stop Sticks Deployed at the County Line
Deputies positioned tire-deflation devices on the Thomas G. Mangum Bridge, also known locally as the Fishing Creek Bridge, which carries Highway 200 across Fishing Creek and the Catawba River basin near Great Falls. That span functions as the primary crossing point connecting Lancaster County to Chester County, giving deputies a strategic spot to intervene as the fleeing vehicle approached. The stop sticks deflated the pursuit vehicle's tires, but the sheriff's post says Davis continued fleeing on Highway 200 even after losing tire pressure.
Davis eventually turned onto Frances Avenue in Great Falls, where the pursuit continued for roughly one more mile before deputies brought it to an end. The sheriff's office says the investigation is active and ongoing, and additional charges may follow.
Trafficking Charge Carries Mandatory Prison Time
Deputies charged Davis with trafficking methamphetamine, second offense, along with failure to stop for a blue light and obstruction of justice, per the sheriff's post. Under South Carolina Code § 44-53-375(C), possessing 10 grams or more of methamphetamine automatically constitutes trafficking, and a second offense involving between 10 and 28 grams carries a mandatory penalty of 5 to 30 years in state prison along with fines up to $50,000, according to state statute. That threshold matters here: simple possession of less than a gram is a misdemeanor under § 44-53-375(A), but the 22 grams deputies say they recovered bypasses lesser distribution charges entirely and triggers the mandatory felony trafficking provision.
The blue light charge also carries its own statutory weight. Failing to stop when signaled by law enforcement lights or sirens is a misdemeanor for a first offense, punishable by 90 days to 3 years in prison, but a second or subsequent offense becomes a felony carrying up to 5 years in prison and a mandatory one-year license suspension under state law. Obstruction of justice, meanwhile, is a common law offense in South Carolina covering any willful act meant to impede or frustrate law enforcement, which appears to be the basis for that charge given that Davis kept driving after the tires were deflated.
State Lawmakers Eyeing Tougher Pursuit Penalties
The case arrives amid an ongoing legislative push in South Carolina to toughen penalties for high-speed chases. During the 2025–2026 session, lawmakers introduced Bill 3176 to amend the blue-light statute, proposing enhanced felony penalties specifically for drivers who willfully or wantonly lead law enforcement on high-speed pursuits.
Chester County Sheriff D. Max Dorsey II, who was named South Carolina Sheriff of the Year in 2022 and has led the department since 2019, previously worked for years as a narcotics investigator with the State Law Enforcement Division. It is not yet known whether Lancaster County authorities or state prosecutors will file additional charges tied to the original pursuit, and Davis's bond status at the Chester County Detention Center has not been detailed publicly.
The arrest comes during a busy stretch for Chester County deputies, who also investigated an August shooting on Mays Drive in Edgemoor that left two people dead, as Hoodline previously reported. That case remains part of a wider run of public safety incidents across the county this year, from a threat investigation at Chester High School to gunfire along I-77 near Richburg.
