Report of gunfire by officer investigated in Aiken County

WARRENVILLE, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - An Aiken County deputy was reportedly involved in a shooting Tuesday morning, the second one in the county in a few days.

Tuesday’s shooting happened around 10:09 a.m., when Deputy Christopher Williams stopped a black Nissan Pathfinder on Howlandville Road near Cemetery Road, according to authorities.

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“It was reported that a shot was fired by the deputy during a confrontation with the driver,” striking her vehicle, according to a statement from the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.

The rear of the vehicle was struck, according to authorities.

The driver, Brittany Norton, 29, drove away and was pursued to the 200 block of Schley Street, according to deputies.

Norton was taken into custody without incident.

The investigation into the incident is handled by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, as is standard.

Norton was taken to the Aiken County Detention Center, where she is expected to be charged with failure to stop for a blue light and possession of a Schedule IV substance, according to deputies.

No one was injured during the incident.

As part of procedure, Williams is on administrative leave while SLED conducts its investigation.

Williams has been with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office since December 2021 and is assigned to the uniformed patrol division.

The incident in Aiken County was the seventh officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in 2023 and the first this year for the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.

Tuesday’s gunfire came just a few days after a New Ellenton Police Department officer fired a gun during an incident that followed a road chase. No one was injured in Thursday’s incident.