Provided
WALTERBORO, S.C. -- One of two suspects who fired at deputies
during a 2011 high-speed chase was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday.
At the conclusion of a two-day trial, jurors convicted 31-year-old
Bronson Shelley of one count of attempted murder and possession of a weapon
during commission of a violent crime stemming from the car chase through
Dorchester and Colleton Counties on the night of July 12, 2011.
Dorchester
County sheriff's deputies
attempted to pull over a stolen Acura sedan on southbound Interstate 95 near
mile marker 73 for several moving violations. Instead of stopping, the driver
of the car sped up, leading deputies on a chase at speeds in excess of 100
miles per hour.
The Acura exited the interstate onto S.C. 61 in Colleton County and continued to travel at
high-speeds, nearly colliding with other vehicles. During the chase, one of the
two men began firing shots out of the car's sunroof. The lead deputy in the
chase then rammed the car, causing it to leave the roadway. Both suspects ran
into a wooded area, while still firing shots at the officers. They were
apprehended with the help of a police dog a short-time later.
In all, officers from seven area law enforcement agencies
participated in the chase and apprehension. One officer sustained a hand injury
during the pursuit, but none were struck by bullets.
"When you shoot approximately 10 times, you have the
intention of killing somebody," said assistant solicitor Steve Knight, who
prosecuted the case. "In this case, that somebody was a police officer,
which is the worst thing I can possibly imagine."
Shelley, who was apparently homeless at the time, is wanted
in Las Vegas
for pandering a child, pandering, child endangerment, living from the earnings
of a prostitute and furnishing transportation to a prostitute.
The charges against the second suspect, Mario Doetrel
Rivers, 35, of Charleston,
are pending.
Bronson Shelley (provided)
