Fight between 2 men led to downtown officer-involved shooting

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A fight between two men in downtown Charleston led to an officer-involved shooting, police say.

Officers with the Charleston Police Department responded to King Street and Line Street for reports of a physical altercation between two individuals just before 10 a.m.

Lt. Anthony Gibson said officers encountered two men fighting when they arrived and said one of the men pulled out a gun.

“At that point, an officer did fire his service weapon and struck one of the suspects that was involved in the altercation,” he said during a news conference.

Gibson said immediate aid was provided at the scene. One of the suspects was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Their status is unknown.

No officers were injured, and no arrests were made.

The immediate roads around King and Line Streets will be closed for the next several hours and police ask drivers and pedestrians to avoid the area.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is on the scene and will take over the investigation, which is standard protocol for an officer-involved shooting.

Police expect to release additional information on Friday.