LAURENS COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – A suspect wanted in connection with an assault in Laurens County reportedly killed himself following an attempted traffic stop Thursday morning.
According to the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, deputies spotted the suspect’s vehicle in the area of Highway 418 and Scuffletown Road. The suspect refused to stop for deputies and was then chased down Highway 418 toward Thomason Road, the sheriff’s office said.
Once the vehicle stopped, deputies said they used a drone to check on the suspect due to knowledge that he may have been in possession of a gun and had made previous threats to harm himself.
The sheriff’s office said they found the man, 36-year-old Bradley David Atwell of Fountain Inn, dead from a self-inflicted wound.
Atwell was wanted in connection with an assault that happened on Reedy Creek Road on January 30, deputies said.
The Laurens County Sheriff’s Office said the victim told deputies that Atwell held her down and put his hands around her neck before grabbing her by the hair and slamming her down on the floor and hitting her multiple times in the face.