Drunk deputy rammed crash victims’ car, fired gun, officials say

McCORMICK, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - A McCormick County deputy was arrested and fired after driving under the influence, ramming another car with his patrol vehicle, threatening to shoot the occupants and firing his gun, according to authorities.

It happened Wednesday in an encounter than began in Greenwood County and ended in McCormick County, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Arrest warrants for Jason Erwin, 44, of Bradley, state that while driving his marked patrol vehicle, he was involved in a crash in Greenwood County. The occupants of the other vehicle stopped and saw Erwin exit the patrol vehicle in shorts and a tank top, according to an arrest warrant.

The victims said he was behaving erratically and they thought he was under the influence. As a result, they called 911.

They said he came after them in an aggressive manner, and fearing for their lives, they drove away from the scene.

READ THE ARREST WARRANTS:

While they were on the phone calling for help, he began to ram the rear of their vehicle on Highway 221 and after the vehicle stopped when another law enforcement vehicle approached, according to the arrest warrants.

As two other McCormick County deputies arrived and began to remove the victims from their vehicle, Erwin said, “I’m going to shoot you,” in an aggressive tone before firing a shot, according to the arrest warrants.

According to the arrest warrants, Erwin admitted drinking before the encounter, and also admitted to possessing a silver flask of bourbon that he drank on the scene.

Erwin has been fired and was booked into jail.

“As protocol and a matter of transparency, anytime a deputy is involved in a serious incident, it is our practice to call the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for an independent investigation,” the McCormick County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

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