Jasper County man charged with attempted murder after woman he was with is shot, deputies say
A man is in custody and a woman is severely injured following a shooting in the Grays Hill area of Jasper County, according to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.
Benjamin Stanley, 65, of Early Branch, was charged Monday night with attempted murder, jail records show.
The shootout occurred just after 8 p.m. Monday off Cat Branch Road, according to Chief Jeff Crosby, a spokesperson for the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office. After a day of recreational gun-shooting, Stanley and the female victim were in a struggle over a handgun when the woman was shot in the chest.
The woman was flown by helicopter to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, and taken to the ICU. Additional details of the victim’s condition are not available, Crosby said.
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office believes Stanley shot the woman intentionally and is not deeming the incident an accidental shooting, according to Crosby.
Deputies had to “wrestle with” Stanley before they could detain him, and Stanley threatened to “go after” one of the officers after he was released from custody. Because of this, Stanley might also be charged with threatening the life of a public official, Crosby said.
In South Carolina, attempted murder is a felony punishable with up to 30 years of prison time. Threatening the life of a public official carries a sentence of up to five years of prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Stanley is in custody at the Jasper County Detention Center.
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