UPDATE: The shot and wounded Aiken County sheriff's deputy was in stable condition after surgery shortly before 5 a.m. Thursday, WLTX-TV reports. The suspect was still at large.

By Noah Feit

Source The State

A manhunt is underway in South Carolina after a deputy was shot in the line of duty overnight, according to the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.

There was a large law enforcement presence where the shooting occurred, in the area of S.C. 19 and Shiloh Heights Road in Aiken, the sheriff’s office said in a 1 a.m. post on social media.

The deputy was injured in the shooting and taken to an area hospital, according to the post. Further information on the deputy’s condition was not available.

“We ask that you please keep the deputy in your prayers,” the sheriff’s office said in the post.

No other injuries were reported.

In a media update, the sheriff’s office said that the traffic stop happened at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, WRDW reported. Information about why the vehicle was pulled over was not available.

There were two people in the vehicle and one of them got out and was running away, prompting the deputy to follow, the sheriff’s office said in the update. That’s when the shooting suspect who was on the run opened fire, hitting and injuring the deputy who was in pursuit, according to the update.

There was no word if the deputy fired at the suspect, but soon more deputies arrived on the scene and the injured law enforcement officer was taken to the hospital, the sheriff’s office said in the update.

No arrests have been reported by the sheriff’s office, which said the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has taken over the investigation.

The sheriff’s office said it temporarily shut down the area where the shooting happened, blocking roads as deputies searched for a silver Hyundai Tucson involved in the incident. Early Thursday morning, the sheriff’s office said the vehicle was located, and the investigation was ongoing.

Anyone with information about the shooting or manhunt is asked to call 911.

This was the fourth shooting of 2026 that involved a member of the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, and second in October.

On Oct. 5, a woman shot and ran over a sheriff’s deputy before she was shot and killed by other law enforcement officers, according to SLED.

The deputy who was injured was taken to a hospital and has since been released and is at home and recovering, officials said.

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