SUMTER, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina officials say a Highway Patrol trooper is on administrative duty while investigators examine why he shot and killed a suspect described as turning violent during a DUI arrest.
The state Department of Public Safety said Sunday that Trooper B.O. Stokes fatally shot a motorist during a Sumter County traffic stop Saturday evening.
Sumter County Coroner Harvin Bullock says motorist Devin Taylor of Dalzell was shot in the chest and abdomen.
Investigators say Stokes tried to arrest the 25-year-old driver after a sobriety test, but he started struggling with the officer.
The state public safety agency says Stokes tried and failed to stop the attack by using his Taser electric shock weapon, then shot the driver to protect his life.
The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting.
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