News 12 at 6 o'clock, June 27, 2009

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C.---An Augusta man is in jail accused of blowing through a North Augusta road block and hitting the Williston Police Chief with his SUV.

The hit and run happened just before 1:00 this morning at Hwy 1 and Martintown Road.

The man was shot at by officers, then ditched his getaway car but both were found by this afternoon.

21-year old Demarius Smith is no stranger to crime, now he's facing serious charges including two counts of assault and battery with intent to kill

Hours later, the marks of a crime scene still linger. Spray paint shows where a police road block almost turned deadly.

Investigators say 21-year old Demarius Smith was driving into North Augusta when he blew past officers, avoiding the road block.

Police say Smith then made a U-turn and drove toward a group of officers, hitting Williston Police Chief Roger Kaney.

"He was trying to get out of the way of the vehicle when the vehicle struck him and threw him a distance," says North Augusta Public Safety Investigator Jon Nelson.

Several agencies opened fire on the SUV, riddling it with bullets.

"The officers felt at that time that one or more officers that their lives were in danger and that's why they chose to use deadly force," says Inv. Nelson.

One bullet went straight through the drivers side window and logged in the windshield, but it wasn't enough to stop Smith.

Police later found the SUV, he was borrowing from a friend, dumped in South Augusta. The owner first tried to help Smith get away with it, then gave investigators his name and information.

Saturday afternoon investigators tracked Smith to this hotel less than a mile from the hit and run.

"Mr. Smith did not give us any indication why he did it," says Inv. Nelson.

Now officers hope he has a long time to think about what he did from a jail cell, as their fellow officer recovers.

Chief Kaney was treated and released from Aiken Regional Hospital. He's at home recovering with minor injuries.

As for Smith's criminal history, he was released from prison in December. He served about 10 months in jail for illegally entering a vehicle in Richmond County.