The manhunt that followed the October 21 traffic-stop shooting has ended with an arrest in Florida. This story reports the arrest and charges announced by SLED. Read the earlier report
AIKEN, South Carolina — The man accused of shooting an Aiken County sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop was apprehended on the morning of Friday, October 23, in Jacksonville, Florida, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said in a statement published by EIN Presswire. Focal News reported the same arrest and charges on October 24. The deputy, publicly identified by the Aiken County Sheriff's Office as Preston Metts, remains in hospital with severe injuries, SLED said.
Source: SLED statement via EIN Presswire, Oct. 2026
According to SLED, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Wednesday, October 21, on Shiloh Heights Road near Pipeline Road in Aiken. As the vehicle came to a stop, an armed man got out of the passenger seat and ran, the deputy followed, and the driver drove away. During the foot chase, SLED alleges, the man shot the deputy several times with an AR-style firearm; the deputy returned fire and the man escaped. An AR-style firearm was recovered from the scene. Those shooting details are SLED's allegations in an ongoing investigation, not court findings.
Source: SLED statement via EIN Presswire, Oct. 2026
SLED identified the arrested man as Morris Laytrell Dorch, 39, and said he was found to have a gunshot wound to his foot when he was taken into custody in Jacksonville, more than 200 miles from the scene, Focal News reported. SLED charged Dorch with attempted murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Source: Focal News (SLED account), Oct. 24, 2026
The driver was identified as Teondra Coleman, 32. SLED charged Coleman with misprision of a felony on Thursday, October 22, and with failure to stop for blue lights on Friday, October 23; she was booked into the Aiken County Detention Center. Leviel Priester, 41, was charged on October 23 with accessory after the fact to a felony and was also booked into the same detention center, SLED said; Focal News reported that authorities allege Priester helped Dorch after the shooting. SLED is investigating at the Aiken County Sheriff's Office's request, the case will be prosecuted by the 2nd Circuit Solicitor's Office, and the investigation remains ongoing.