3 held in officer's shooting

Three men were arrested Saturday night after a daylong manhunt sparked when a North Charleston police officer was shot early that morning.

Investigators acting on leads found the three men at a Barony Park Circle home just before 6 p.m., North Charleston police spokesman Spencer Pryor said.

The officer's injuries were not life-threatening, Pryor said.

Timothy Darrell Johnson of North Charleston was charged with attempted murder of a police officer, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, possession of a stolen firearm and assaulting police while resisting arrest.

Creiton Antonio Patterson and Dontreia Antwon Durant, both of North Charleston, were charged with accessory after the fact of attempted murder of a police officer.

Their bond hearings will be at 11 a.m. today.

The shooting that sparked the manhunt occurred about 3 a.m. at the El Cheapo Gas Station on Dorchester Road and South Allen Drive, near Interstate 26.

Police were called to a South Allen Drive home just before 3 a.m. for a reported theft, Pryor said.

The victim gave officers a description of the man who robbed him. Shortly after that, one of the officers saw a man at the gas station who matched the description of the robber, Pryor said.

The officer approached the suspect, who immediately opened fire on the officer, striking him twice, Pryor said. The officer did not fire his weapon, he said.

The officer was taken to MUSC.

The officer's bullet-resistant vest caught one of the bullets, and another round struck his knee, according to a source close to the investigation.

The Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester county sheriff's offices and police from Charleston, Mount Pleasant, the Charleston County Aviation Authority and the S.C. Highway Patrol assisted the North Charleston Police Department, Pryor said.