By HEATHER RUPPE
A Walterboro man was shot in the head, with a bullet grazing the cartilage near his ear, during an argument he was having with a man about $2.
According to the Walterboro Police Department’s incident report, officers were sent to the area of Rivers and Proctor Streets to help the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office with a gunshot victim. The victim called 911 and reported he had been shot.
One Walterboro police officer said in his report that the 43-year-old victim said his cousin drove up to him in a white Chevrolet pickup, got into an argument with him over $2, and then pulled out a small black handgun and pointed it at him. While the two struggled with the weapon, the gun went off, striking him in the ear. The victim also said the gun was pointed directly at his head during one point of the argument, as stated in a police report.
After being struck by the bullet, the victim told authorities he went to his brother’s house.
According to the victim’s statements to police officers, the suspect was seen hiding in some nearby woods following the shooting. The victim then refused law enforcement assistance and transport to a hospital for medical attention. The victim continued to refuse cooperation with officers. The scene was canvassed for a weapon, the police report states, and officers left the area.
While firefighter-paramedics tried to treat the man’s injuries, he refused help and began to curse at officers and paramedics. After he was bandaged, the victim also allegedly “flipped off” first-responders and then walked away from the crime scene.
The suspect is believed to be a 38-year-old Walterboro man. As of press deadline on Tuesday, no arrest had been made and the victim continues to not cooperate.
