Pilots to discuss search, capture of suspect in Sullivan’s Island manhunt

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The pilots who helped find a man accused of intentionally hitting two children and a teacher with a vehicle last week on Sullivan’s Island will share details about how they utilized air search and equipment to find the wanted suspect.

Pilots from the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office ‘Air 1’ located 36-year-old Justin Collin Adams last Thursday, hiding in a boat off a Sullivan’s Island dock following an hours-long, multi-agency search of the island.

Adams is accused of using a vehicle to hit two children, ages 10 and 12, and a teacher while outside Sunrise Presbyterian School after initially threatening his mother with a knife.

The man took off after his airbags were deployed and rendered the vehicle inoperable. Sullivan’s Island was placed on lockdown, and residents were told to shelter in place while multiple law enforcement agencies searched the island.

Adams was eventually spotted by the Air 1 pilots hiding in a boat docked not far from the incident location. The team that spotted him was a helicopter crew of Charleston County Sheriff’s Office and Sullivan’s Island Police Department personnel.

The pilots are expected to talk about how they found Adams in the boat and will share details about some of the features in Air 1 that they can utilize in similar scenarios.

According to the sheriff’s office, Air 1 is a state-of-the-art helicopter that they said will serve as a critical tool in area law enforcement operations by providing real-time aerial support during major community events and assisting in urgent situations.

“The Air Unit offers a strategic advantage, giving deputies a vital bird’s-eye view that helps protect and serve the community more effectively,” the sheriff’s office said.