POLICE KILL SUSPECT IN DRUG STING

Man fired on North Charleston officer in Northwoods Mall parking lot,
police say

North Charleston police say an officer shot and killed one suspect after
coming under fire during a drug sting Wednesday night in the parking lot of
Northwoods Mall.

Officers responding to the scene of the drug deal at about 6:30 p.m. were
fired upon by one of two suspects seated inside a white sedan, police said.

Police Chief Jon Zumalt said undercover officers set up the sting, but
uniformed officers showed up on the scene to make the arrest.

"Our police unit pulled up behind the vehicle," he said, referring to the
sedan. "Two officers approached the vehicle, one on the driver side and one
on the passenger side." Zumalt said the passenger got out of the car and
fired a round at the officer. He said the officer was not struck by the
bullet fired from the suspect's .40-caliber pistol. No one else was injured.

"The officer fired one round back," he said. "This was a tragic end to a
drug case."

The name of the deceased man and the vehicle's driver, who is now in police
custody, were not available late Wednesday night.

Officers recovered about 2 ounces of cocaine with a street value of about
$6,000, police said.

Zumalt stressed that no one expected the drug bust to turn violent, least
of all in a busy mall parking lot: "Very rarely do these drug cases go
wrong." He said his department has run numerous violence-free undercover
drug operations in the past.

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting, police
said, standard procedure after a police officer uses deadly force. Zumalt
said the officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative
duty. His name is being withheld, pending the investigation.

By 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, police had cordoned off at least 20 cars in the
busy parking lot, securing a wide perimeter around the scene of the
shooting, and drawing a crowd.

Hai Luu, a mall worker, said he came out minutes after the shooting took place.

"There was a gun on the ground near a body," he said. "I was very close. I
could see little bags of white stuff on the ground, but the police told me
to move away."

Rene Simmons, of North Charleston, said she had been shopping when it all
happened.

"I've been in the mall for 45 minutes," Simmons said as she tried to
approach her car in the parking lot, startled by the sight of flashing
lights and yellow police tape.

"I'm parked over there," she said, pointing to a vehicle well within the
cordoned-off area. "The police said I couldn't get my car because it's a
crime scene. ... This is my first time experiencing anything like this
here. It's scary."