Coroner identifies man in Summerville officer-involved shooting

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) – A man who died following an altercation with an off-duty Summerville officer was identified Thursday afternoon.

Berkeley County Coroner Darnell Hartwell said 39-year-old Michael P. O’Neal died of injuries sustained from a gunshot wound.

Very few details have been released regarding the Wednesday afternoon incident; however, officials with the Summerville Police Department told News 2 that an off-duty officer was involved in an altercation near a Chick-fil-A restaurant on North Main Street.

At some point during the incident, the officer was dragged by a vehicle in the fast food restaurant’s parking lot and shots were fired.

Berkeley County Coroner Darnell Hartwell said the officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital. The deceased individual, now known as O’Neal, was previously described as a suspect.

Coroner Hartwell said the individual was in the area on business.

The incident is being investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Berkeley County Coroner’s Office.