NC agency identifies man killed in 2-state police chase that included York County

North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has released the name of the man killed Thursday after a police chase spanning three counties in both Carolinas, including York County.

Matthew Whitley, 26, was killed in Kings Mountain, N.C., after leading North and South Carolina law enforcement officers on a car chase in both states, the agency said.

Two Kings Mountain police officers, Chris Tate and Joshua Bryant, were identified as the officers who fired the fatal shots, according to SBI. Tate and Bryant have been placed on paid administrative leave while SBI investigates the case, standard protocol in a police-involved shooting.

The chase began in Gastonia, N.C., when a Gastonia police officer pursued Whitley’s car, which was believed to be associated with a hit and run, SBI officials said.

The car entered South Carolina, where York County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Clover Police Department officers took up chase.

The suspect, identified as Whitley by SBI, fired shots at officers on Lloyd White Road in Clover around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, and then rammed into a York County patrol car in reverse, York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said.

The car took off and hit a Clover patrol car further down the road, injuring a police officer, said Tolson and Clover Police Chief Randy Grice.

Whitley then fired more shots at Clover and York County officers, who returned fire, Tolson said.

“It was a very intense situation, and the officers handled it well due to their training,” Grice said. “I’m just glad no one else got injured.”

Two York County deputies, Master Deputy II Wayne Richardson and Deputy Blaine Addis, and two Clover police officers, Lts. Frankie Sadler and Logan McGarity, have been placed on paid administrative leave, pending a South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division investigation, according to the York County Sheriff’s Office.

SLED officials declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.

The chase ended in Kings Mountain, N.C., where Tate and Bryant encountered the driver outside of his vehicle, according to SBI. Both Tate and Bryant fired their weapons, fatally injuring the driver, the SBI said.

SBI agents have collected body camera footage from Kings Mountain police and dash camera footage from multiple agencies to review in the investigation.

Whitley had previously been convicted of several charges including possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and assault of a police officer, North Carolina court records show.

During the pursuit, three schools in York County – Clover Middle School, Bethany Elementary and Kinard Elementary – were placed on lockdown as a precaution.

The Gaston County Sheriff’s Office, Kings Mountain Police Department, Gaston County Police, Bessemer City Police, York County Sheriff’s Office, Clover Police and state troopers were all involved in the incident.

This story was originally published October 20, 2017 at 12:05 PM with the headline "NC agency identifies man killed in 2-state police chase that included York County."