Cheraw Police say the car driven by the man who killed himself after shooting an officer Monday night was stolen.
Cheraw Police Chief Jay Brooks says the car driven by Travis Quick was stolen out of North Carolina, but it wasn't reported stolen until an hour after Officer Maurice Merritt was shot. Had the car been in the system as stolen, Chief Brooks says Merritt would have considered it a felony stop and called for back up.
Instead, Officer Merritt tried to pull the car over himself for a traffic violation on Market Street. Police say Quick failed to stop until he reached Godfrey Street.
As Merritt got out of his patrol car, Chief Brooks says Quick shot Merritt. We're told Quick ran to a nearby building where he was cornered by officers, who say he shot and killed himself in front of them.
Police also said today that Quick actually fired 5 shots at Merritt, only two struck him. One bullet struck merritt in the chest, hitting his bullet proof vest. The other is still lodged in his shoulder, said Chief Brooks. "They're gonna let some things heal before they try to take the bullet out. He's doing real well. His spirits are high. He's real thankful for all the help we got from every organization and every agency from miles and miles around us."
Quick's body won't be released to his family until an autopsy is done. We'll let you know when the results of the autopsy are released.
In the meantime, Officer Merritt is expected to be released from the hospital later this evening.
State police and the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office are still investigating.
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