Illegal immigrant accused of shooting Charleston, SC deputy
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FIRST ON FOX: A man accused of shooting a South Carolina deputy in the chest during an early morning traffic stop has been identified as an illegal immigrant who had previously been deported and was convicted of illegal reentry, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS officials told Fox News Digital that Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies responded to a call of shots fired on Johns Island shortly after 9 p.m. on Feb. 10.
They were unable to locate the suspect, later identified as Floriberto Perez-Nieto, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico.
Around 3 a.m. the next day, deputies received another call from the same person reporting that Perez-Nieto had returned to the area.
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Floriberto Perez-Nieto was killed after allegedly shooting a deputy in South Carolina. (US Department of Homeland Security)
Deputies noticed Perez-Nieto’s car and tried to pull him over, but Perez-Nieto tried to evade arrest and shot one of the deputies in the chest, according to authorities.
Other deputies returned fire and Perez-Nieto was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
DHS officials said the sheriff’s deputy who was shot in the chest was wearing a body armor.
Charleston County Sheriff Carl Ritchie speaks at a news conference. (via Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, X)
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“This criminal, illegal alien illegally obtained a firearm and nearly killed a law enforcement officer,” DHS deputy secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “Thankfully, the officer’s vest saved his life. This could have had very different tragic outcomes for the officer and his family.”
The identity of the shot MP has not yet been made public by the authorities.
According to DHS, Perez-Nieto was previously arrested after illegally entering the United States from Mexico at an unknown date and location and without being inspected by an immigration official.
It is unclear when Floriberto Perez-Nieto crossed the US border illegally. (Christian Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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It was later removed from the US on February 20, 2019.
Authorities said he committed the crime by illegally re-entering the country at an unknown date and time.
It is unclear where Perez-Nieto allegedly obtained the firearm.
The CCSO professional standards division will conduct an internal investigation into the shooting.
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The deputies involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave pending further investigation, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division was immediately notified, responded to the scene and will be leading the investigation.
