Man shot after starting a fight with deputies near a school, Aiken County sheriff says

A man was shot after starting a fight with South Carolina deputies near an elementary school, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said.

The sheriff’s office responded to a call about a “suspicious” man near the intersection of Columbia Highway and Beaver Dam Road around 2 p.m. on Thursday.

Deputies found the man near a driveway next to J.D. Lever Elementary School in Aiken County. While talking with the deputies, the man started a physical fight.

The fight stopped when a deputy shot the man. The man was taken into custody, and taken to a hospital in critical condition.

One deputy was also injured in the fight and taken to the hospital in stable condition.

Sheriff Michael Hunt requested that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division conduct an independent investigation into the incident. The investigation is ongoing.